Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 14415

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110

Northwest Africa 14415 (NWA 14415)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2020
Mass: 3.8 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a dealer in Algeria.

Physical characteristics: Dark grayish fragment without fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) Fine-grained fragmental breccia composed of mineral fragments, basaltic, and gabbroic clasts set in a fine-grained partly shock-melted feldspathic groundmass. Predominant minerals are calcic plagioclase, olivine, zoned low-Ca-pyroxene, and augite. Minor phases include ilmenite, apatite, and FeS.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake, MNB) olivine: Fa_39.5±0.3 (Fa_38.7-39.9, FeO/MnO=101±11, n=15); zoned low-Ca pyroxene: Fs_23.9±6.4Wo_5.5±1.6 (Fs_18.1-34.5Wo_3.9-8.0, FeO/MnO=55±7, n=12); augite: Fs_17.1±0.7Wo_43.3±0.9 (Fs_16.5-18.7Wo_41.2-44.0, FeO/MnO=50±8, n=8); calcic plagioclase: An_96.5±0.5 (An_95.7-97.2, n=11).

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 0.8 g at MNB. Main mass with Mateusz Szyszka

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 14415. Given the small size, it is likely paired with another stone. The description is consistent with the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 14415