Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13957

Northwest Africa 13957 (NWA 13957)

northwestern Africa
Find: 2019 March
Mass: 190 g (2 pieces)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (basaltic breccia)

History: Purchased by Luc Labenne in March 2019 from a Moroccan dealer.

Physical characteristics: Single stone with no fusion crust and containing small weathering veins.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia dominated by mafic lithic clasts (which are themselves breccias) in a sparse matrix of related crystalline debris. Typical feldspathic lunar lithologies appear to be absent. Minerals (mean grainsize ~0.1 mm) are anorthite, pigeonite, ferropigeonite, sub-calcic augite, olivine, rare low-Ca pyroxene, ilmenite and kamacite; glass is also present in both clasts and as separate angular fragments.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_25.0-49.3, FeO/MnO = 74-99, N = 4), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_39.9Wo_2.2, FeO/MnO = 63), pigeonite (Fs_26.8-80.1Wo_8.4-19.8, FeO/MnO = 50-78, N = 3), subcalcic augite (Fs_30.2Wo_32.5, FeO/MnO = 51), anorthite (An_93.4-97.7Or_0.5-0.0, N = 4).

Classification: Lunar (basaltic breccia).

Specimens: 20.3 g in the form of a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with Mr. L. Labenne.

Randy Says…

I have not studied NWA 13957.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 13957