Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15286

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Northwest Africa 15286 (NWA 15286)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2021
Mass: 68 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (melt breccia)

History: Purchased by Craig Zlimen in 2021 from a meteorite dealer in Algeria.

Physical Characteristics: Single stone with minor dark fusion crust.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, Cascadia) Sample is a polymict breccia consisting of a variety of mm-sized lithic clasts and sub-angular mineral fragments (e.g. exsolved pigeonite, forsteritic olivine, plagioclase) set within a partly vesicular, plagioclase-rich crystalline melt rock matrix. Lithic clast lithologies identified in the sample include: anorthosites, troctolites, olivine norites, anorthositic norites, basalts, and impact melt-rich clasts (Stoffler et al., 1980), indicative of this specimen sampling a mix of highland (FAN, Mg-Suite), mare, and PKT material. Accessory phases include ilmenite, Cr-spinel, SiO₂-rich glass, pentlandite, and baddeleyite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_25.4±13.9, range Fa_6.9-47.2, Fe/Mn=86±10, n=8), Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_22.4±11.3Wo_4.3±0.5, range Fs_12.2-37.0Wo_3.7-4.7, Fe/Mn=46±4, n=4), Pigeonite (Fs_31.1±13.2Wo_14.8±4.9, range Fs_17.3-57.9Wo_7.7-22.4, Fe/Mn=49±7, n=10), Augite (Fs_27.9±9.8Wo_29.2±6.1, range Fs_22.0-39.2Wo_25.5-36.3, Fe/Mn=47±3, n=3), Calcic plagioclase (An_94.0±5.4, range An_76.9-98.7, n=26).

Classification: Lunar (polymict melt breccia).

Specimens: 13.66 g at Cascadia, main mass with Craig Zlimen.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15286.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15286