Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 13992
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110
Northwest Africa 13992 (NWA 13992)Mauritania Classification: Lunar meteorite (frag. breccia) History: Found in 2020 by Mauritanian meteorite hunters. Purchased by Douglas Chenin from a Mauritanian meteorite dealer in 2021. Physical characteristics: Several identical large individuals and multiple medium to small identical individuals totaling 1035 g. Shiny, irregular shaped, sandblasted exteriors with patches of two colors, dark brown and light brownish-yellow, representing the main lithologies in these meteorite samples. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Electron microprobe analysis of a polished mount shows this meteorite to be a lunar polymict breccia with at least two distinct lithologies. Lithology 1: this is feldspathic breccia consisting of fragments of olivine and pyroxene, and anorthitic plagioclase, with accessory phases Fe,Ni-metal, Fe-sulfide, ilmenite, and chromite. Lithology 2: this is a basaltic textured domain with intergranular pyroxene and plagioclase grains that grades into a partially shock melted pyroxene cumulate textured domain, with minor barite, Fe-sulfide, ilmenite, and silica — olivine is absent. Geochemistry: (A. Ross, UNM) olivine Fa48.1±9.0, Fe/Mn=104±12, n=12; clinopyroxene Fs38.5±14.9Wo13.8±13.9, Fe/Mn=58±7, n=13; plagioclase An94.9±1.7, n=6. Classification: Polymict fragmental lunar breccia. Specimens: 24.05 g on deposit at UNM, DChenin holds the main mass. |
Randy Says… I have not studied NWA 13992. |
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