Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 14977

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Northwest Africa 14977 (NWA 14977)

Algeria
Purchased: 2021 November
Mass: 849 g (45 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: A group of similar-appearing small stones was found in Algeria in 2021 and purchased by Ali Benamro in November 2021 from an Algerian dealer. Some of this material was sold subsequently to Mark Lyon and Sun Chul Lee.

Physical Characteristics: The 45 small stones (total weight 849 g) are all dark gray with visible whitish clasts.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL). Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, exsolved pigeonite and augite, plus rare lithic spinel troctolite clasts, in a fine grained matrix containing ilmenite, troilite, taenite and minor secondary barite.

Geochemistry: Anorthite (An_95.1-96.6Or_0.1-0.2, N = 3), olivine (Fa_12.3-50.6, FeO/MnO = 85-103, N = 6), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_38.6-42.0Wo_5.2-3.8, FeO/MnO = 61-63, N = 2), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs_53.4Wo_3.1, FeO/MnO = 66), augite exsolution lamella (Fs_23.1Wo_44.4, FeO/MnO = 59), pigeonite (Fs_29.3Wo_7.9, FeO/MnO =59), augite (Fs_17.2-25.4Wo_41.0-45.9, FeO/MnO = 58-64, N = 3), spinel in troctolite clast (Mg_0.845Fe_0.151Al_1.957Cr_0.044O₄).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 23.1 g including a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with Mr. M. Lyon (493 g), Mr. S. Lee (117) and Mr. A. Benamro (212 g).

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 14977.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 14977