Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13582

Northwest Africa 13582 (NWA 13582)

(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2019 June
Mass: 11,280 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Bo Zhang in Jun. 2019 from an anonymous dealer.

Physical characteristics: Small vesicles are visible in the hand specimen.

Petrography: Lithic clasts and mineral fragments (0.01 to 2 mm) set in an anorthositic matrix. Lithic clasts include anorthositic, gabbroic, noritic and impact melted clasts. Mineral fragments are dominated by pyroxene and minor olivine. Plagiocalse is highly Ca-rich (K₂O < 0.025 wt%) while a few clasts contain relatively K-rich plagiocalse (K₂O = 0.23-0.45 wt%). Some pyroxene grains exhibit exsolved lamella. Vesicles are common. Other accessory minerals include ilmenite, troilite and FeNi metal.

Geochemistry: Plagioclase (An_95.5-99.3Or_0-0.2, n=14; An_85.0-90.7Or_1.6-3.5, n=3), olivine (Fa_19.6-34.9, FeO/MnO=83.3-98.2, n=7), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_16.5-47.8Wo_2.4-13.2, FeO/MnO=48.2-62.7, n=11), Ca-rich pyroxene (Fs_8.8-52.8Wo_27.2-44.3, FeO/MnO=43.6-73.4, n=11).
Classification:  The texture and mineral composition are consistent with lunar feldspathic breccias.

Specimens: 20 g at PMO. Mr. Bo Zhang holds the main mass.

Randy Says…

I have not studied 13582. It might be another NWA 8046 pair.

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