Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13408

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 109

Northwest Africa 13408 (NWA 13408)

Algeria
Find: 2018
Mass: 2000 g (12 pieces)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased in 2020 by Matthew Stream from Said Bachir in Algeria.

Physical characteristics: Sample contains minor fusion crust. An interior slice reveals an assortment of light and dark-coloured clasts.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, FSU) Sample is a feldspathic breccia composed primarily of sub-angular anorthitic clasts (<1 cm) set in a dark, fine-grained matrix. Other phases present include pigeonite, olivine, sub-calcic augite, low-Ca pyroxene, and Si-Na-Ca-Mg-rich glass.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_57.4±16.5, range Fa_45.8-69.0, FeO/MnO=95±5, n=2), Pigeonite (Fs_32.0±2.4Wo_12.4±3.7, range Fs_28.1-34.8Wo_8.0-17.2, FeO/MnO=44±3, n=7), Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_36.7 Wo_4.0, FeO/MnO=53, n=1), Sub-Calcic Augite (Fs_23.5 Wo_31.2, FeO/MnO=38, n=1), Anorthite (An_96.5±0.7, range An_95.1-97.5, n=24).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 20.81 grams at UCLA; main mass with Matthew Stream.

Randy Says…

I have not studied 13408. It might be another pair of the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 13408

References

Che X. C., Nemchin A. A., Long T., Ban Y. Y., Li Z. S., and Liu D. Y. (2024) Fe-metal grains with associated apatite and zircon in lunar meteorites. 86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 6161.