Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15069

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Northwest Africa 15069 (NWA 15069)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022 May
Mass: 458 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Terry Boudreaux in May 2022 from a dealer in Zagora, Morocco.

Physical Characteristics: A single very fresh stone (458 g) coated by a glossy, translucent desert patina. The interior consists of numerous dark gray and some white clasts in a fine grained matrix.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of angular mineral clasts of calcic plagioclase, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, exsolved pigeonite, unexsolved pigeonite and subcalcic augite plus glass fragments within a fine-grained matrix containing abundant troilite, ilmenite, medium-Ti chromite, pentlandite, rare kamacite and taenite.

Geochemistry: Calcic plagioclase (An_85.7-97.9Or_0.5-0.0, N = 4), olivine (Fa_29.9-39.0, FeO/MnO = 93-97, N = 5), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_23.0-34.9Wo_3.5-4.6, FeO/MnO = 48-53, N = 2), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs_38.0Wo_2.5, FeO/MnO = 55), augite exsolution lamella (Fs_16.2Wo_44.3, FeO/MnO = 45), pigeonite (Fs_48.6Wo_17.5, FeO/MnO = 55), subcalcic augite (Fs_39.4Wo_21.9, FeO/MnO = 61; Fs_15.4Wo_34.2; FeO/MnO = 46; N = 2).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 21.2 g including a polished mount at UWB; remainder with Mr. T. Boudreaux.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15069.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15069