Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15583

Two sides of a 53-g slice of Northwest Africa 15583 (polished, left; unpolished, righ). Photo credit: Marcin Cimala
Two sides of a 5.1-g slice of Northwest Africa 15583. Photo credit: Gary Fujihara
Two sides of a 2.8-g slice of NWA 15583. Vesicular melt veins on the right. Photo credit: Gary Fujihara

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15583 (NWA 15583)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022
Mass: 3400 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Craig Zlimen in 2022 from an Algerian dealer.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of relatively large (up to 2 cm) and relatively closely-packed angular lithic clasts plus some related mineral clasts in a sparse fine grained, partly vesicular and partly glassy matrix. The lithic clasts are mostly anorthite-rich with varying amounts of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, subcalcic augite and augite. Accessory phases include low-Ti chromite, ilmenite, troilite, kamacite and Zr-bearing rutile.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa22.5-43.7, FeO/MnO = 83-96, N = 8), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs20.9-37.9Wo2.5-3.8, FeO/MnO = 49-59, N = 3), pigeonite (Fs26.2Wo6.6, FeO/MnO = 54), subcalcic augite (Fs14.7Wo29.9, FeO/MnO = 49), augite (Fs10.4-11.4Wo41.8-41.6; Fs8.4Wo48.1; FeO/MnO = 38-40, N = 3), anorthite (An96.1-98.2Or0.0, N = 4).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 23.1 g including a large polished slice at UWB; remainder with Mr. C. Zlimen.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15583.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15583

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