Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13478

Northwest Africa 13478 (NWA 13478)

(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2020 September
Mass: 59 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Mark Lyon in September 2020 from a Mauritanian dealer.

Physical characteristics: The specimen exhibits whitish to beige, angular mineral clasts set within a dark brown matrix.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, pigeonite (with ferropigeonite rims) and exsolved pigeonite set in a dark matrix containing kamacite, taenite, troilite, ilmenite, silica polymorph and fayalite, plus minor secondary barite and calcite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_23.1-43.4, FeO/MnO = 86-117, N = 6), pigeonite (Fs_19.1-21.1Wo_7.1-11.5; Fs_33.5Wo_18.7; FeO/MnO = 47-56, N = 3),ferropigeonite rims (Fs_60.8-75.7Wo_20.1-23.5, FeO/MnO = 67-70, N = 2), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs_46.3Wo_3.5, FeO/MnO = 63), augite exsolution lamella (Fs_20.1Wo_43.8, FeO/MnO = 51), augite host (Fs_24.6Wo_40.4, FeO/MnO = 63), low-Ca pyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs_51.8Wo_4.5, FeO/MnO = 74), fayalite (Fa_97.1, FeO/MnO = 81), anorthite (An_95.4-97.5Or_0.1-0.3, N = 4).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 13.5 g including one polished slice at UWB; remainder with Mr. M. Lyon.

Randy Says…

I have not studied 13478.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 13478