Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13899

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110

Northwest Africa 13899 (NWA 13899)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2019
Mass: 5.5 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia)

History: In 2019 at the mineral show in Beijing Ziyao Wang discovered on the bottom of a box with ordinary chondrites from northwest Africa some small strange stones. This one he donated to Rainer Bartoschewitz.

Physical characteristics: 5.5 g gray grooved irregular fragment with orange soil adhersions. Gray cut face with white inclusions and few metallic specks.

Petrography: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart) Polymict fragmental breccia of dominately mafic lithic clasts (gabbro, dunite) with accessoric chromite, silica, kamacite and taenite, minor anorthosite clasts (frequently transformed to maskelynite), and mineral fragments.

Geochemistry: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart, P. Appel and B. Mader, Kiel) Olivine Fa_20.4-41.9 (Fe/Mn 65-118; n=4); fayalite Fa_85.0 (n=1); augite En_28-50Fs_55-14Wo_18-35 (Fe/Mn 47-74; n=4); anorthite An_94.2-97.4Or<0.5 (n=7); chromite CRAL=62, FFM=68 (n=1). Ilmenite MgO=4.5 wt% (n=1); kamacite Ni=2.9-6.7, Co=1.5-0.5wt% (n=5). Magnetic susceptibility (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart) log χ (× 10^-9 m³/kg) = 4.10.

Classification: lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia).

Specimens: 1.24 g on deposit at IfP, main mass with Bart. Polished thin sections with Bart + IfP.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 13899.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 13899