Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 14730 & 14731
possible paired stones
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111 Northwest Africa 14730 (NWA 14730)(Northwestern Africa) Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia) History: Purchased February, 2019, by anonymous collector from a Moroccan dealer. Physical Characteristics: Many small identical looking sand polished stones. No fusion crust present. Saw cut reveals a clast-rich brecciated interior. Petrography: (A. Ross, UNM; D. Dickens, NMMS) This meteorite is a fragmental breccia of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine grains, with pyroxene being significantly more abundant than olivine. This meteorite is clast-rich and contains many highly impinged, nested, and sub-micron clasts of varying lithologies set in a sparse matrix. Analysis of BSE image with ImageJ shows a mode of ~71% plagioclase, ~23% pyroxene, ~5% olivine, with remainder being opaques including kamacite and troilite. Some Cr-spinels with Mg+Al+Ti were detected. Geochemistry: (A. Ross, UNM) olivine Fa: 30.0±5.0, Fe/Mn=91±9, n=8; clinopyroxene Fs35.8±116.3Wo19.1±11.5, Fe/Mn=55±10, n=10; plagioclase An95.0±2.2, n=6. Classification: Lunar fragmental breccia. Specimens: 12 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, anonymous collector holds the main mass. |
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111 Northwest Africa 14731 (NWA 14731)(Northwestern Africa) Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia) History: Purchased February, 2019 by anonymous collector from a Moroccan dealer. Physical Characteristics: Many small identical looking stones mostly covered in caliche. No fusion crust present. Saw cut reveals a light and dark colored brecciated interior, with some vesicles and other melt features. Petrography: (A Ross, UNM; D. Dickens, NMMS) This meteorite is a fragmental breccia of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine grains. Analysis of BSE images with ImageJ shows the major phases are plagioclase that has been converted to maskelynite being the dominant phase and equal parts pyroxene, olivine, and unconverted plagioclase being the other major phases. The minor phases include kamacite, ilmenite, and troilite. Some Cr-spinels with Mg+Al+Ti were detected. Geochemistry: (A. Ross, UNM) olivine Fa: 29.2±7.1, Fe/Mn=95±7, n=10; clinopyroxene Fs27.2±5.9Wo8.3±2.0, Fe/Mn=54±4, n=8; plagioclase An96.7±0.3, n=6. Classification: Lunar fragmental breccia. Specimens: 9 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, anonymous collector holds the main mass. |
| Randy Says… I have not studied Northwest Africa 14730 and 14731. I do not know if the “stones” (each a pile of many fragments) are actually paired, but the descriptions are similar. |