Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15368

The 17.0-kg main mass of Northwest Africa 15368. The fusion crust has completely been removed by wind-blown sand. Photo credit: Heritage Auctions
For scale. Meteorite scientists do not usually touch meteorites with their bare hands, especially while wearing jewelry or nail polish. But, if you’re selling or buying it, you can do what you want. Eighty grams went to science (below). Photo credit: Heritage Auctions

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Northwest Africa 15368 (NWA 15368)

Mali
Found: 2021 January
Mass: 17.84 kg (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia)

History: Found in Mali by camel shepherds in January 2021 and subsequently purchased by Ahmed Salek and sold to an anonymous collector in the US..

Physical Characteristics: A single stone with a dark exterior, one side partially covered in caliche. Cut surface reveals a fragmental breccia with many lithic clasts set in a glassy dark-gray ground mass.

Petrography: (D. Dickens, NMMS and A. S. Bell, CUB) This meteorite is a clast-rich polymict breccia with subhedral lithic fragments embedded in a fine-grained groundmass. Fragmental clasts sizes range from <0.1 mm to >6 mm and are primarily comprised of plagioclase, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, augite, and olivine. Minor phases include kamacite and ilmenite. This meteorite is shocked with impact melt textures present.

Geochemistry:  (D. Dickens, NMMS and A. S. Bell, CUB) olivine Fa38.0±2.6, Fe/Mn=100±11.4, n=8; lo-Ca pyroxene Fs20.7±0.1,Wo4.0±0.1, Fe/Mn=54±2, n=2; pigeonite Fs30.1±5.2,Wo9.5±3.7, Fe/Mn=54±1, n=3; augite Fs16.9±1.1Wo36.5±2.8, Fe/Mn=45±1 n=2; plagioclase An95.9±3.1 Ab2.9±0.7 Or1.2±3.3, n=15.

Classification: Lunar fragmental breccia.

Specimens: 40 g with probe mount on deposit at Cascadia, 40 g with probe mount on deposit at CUB, anonymous collector holds the main mass.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15368.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15368

References

Dickens D., Mayne R.G., and Gross J. (2023) A new lunar fragmental breccia meteorite Northwest Africa 15368. 86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 6269.

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