Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12985

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 108

Northwest Africa 12985 (NWA 12985)

Algeria
Find: 2016
Mass: 33 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased in 2019 by Matthew Stream from a seller in Algeria.

Physical characteristics: Single stone with absent fusion crust. A slice of the interior reveals an assortment of light and dark-colored clasts.

Petrography: (Daniel Sheikh, FSU) Sample is a feldspathic fragmental breccia composed predominantly of angular anorthitic clasts (<2mm) containing minor amounts of olivine, pigeonite, augite, ilmenite, and chromite.

Geochemistry: (Daniel Sheikh, FSU) Olivine (Fa_29.4±10.4, range Fa_18.7-44.6, Fe/Mn=89±10, n=3), pigeonite (Fs_36.5±7.6Wo_14.1±4.0, range Fs_31.8-50.2Wo_10.7-20.9, Fe/Mn=51±7, n=5), wugite (Fs_11.7Wo_42.0, Fe/Mn=38, n=1), anorthite (An_96.4±1.1, range An_93.8-98.4, n=33).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic fragmental breccia).

Specimens: 6.7 grams at UCLA; main mass with Matthew Stream.

Randy Says…

I have not studied this meteorite. It may be another stone of the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12985