Lunar Meteorites: Northwest Africa 15603, 15604, 15605, & 15612

probably unpaired

For sale on the internet – Left: A 27-g stone of Northwest Africa 15604. Right: A slice of Northwest Africa 15605. Photo credits: Yoda
A 6.1-g slice of 15604. Photo credit: Yoda
A thin section of NWA 15604. Photo credit: Mirko Graul
A thin section of NWA 15694. Photo credit: Mirko Graul

Meteorite Picture of the Day: NWA 15604

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15603 (NWA 15603)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022 October
Mass: 187 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a group of meteorites hunters in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, in October, 2022.

Physical Characteristics: Dark grayish rock without fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) The meteorite displays a fresh dark grayish interior and is a breccia composed of up to 4 mm sized mineral clasts set in a fine-grained partly shock molten matrix. Dominant minerals are anorthite, low-Ca pyroxene, augite, and olivine. Minor phases include ilmenite, troilite, and FeNi metal.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake) olivine: Fa26.1±0.1 (Fa26.0-26.2, FeO/MnO=79±3, n=7); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs20.5±0.1Wo3.4±0.3 (Fs20.4-20.6Wo2.9-3.7, FeO/MnO=50±5, n=7); zoned pyroxene: Fs39.1±11.8Wo13.8±6.2 (Fs24.4-52.6Wo6.9-25.3, FeO/MnO=52±6, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An97.0±0.5 (An96.3-97.8, n=7).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 20 g, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Main mass with Salamu Ali.

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15604 (NWA 15604)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022 August
Mass: 2300 g (many pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a group of meteorites hunters in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, in August, 2022.

Physical Characteristics: Many brownish fragments without fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) The meteorite is a breccia composed of up to 3 mm sized mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, low-Ca-pyroxene, and augite plus some melt fragments set in a fine-grained matrix. Minor phases include ilmenite, troilite, and FeNi metal.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake) olivine: Fa21.5±0.4 (Fa20.9-22.1, FeO/MnO=82±7, n=7); ferroan olivine: Fa31.4±0.2 (Fa31.1-31.7, FeO/MnO=86±6, n=7); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs23.3±0.6Wo4.6±0.5 (Fs22.5-24.3Wo3.9-5.4, FeO/MnO=55±5, n=7); Ca-pyroxene: Fs18.0±0.8Wo32.7±1.7 (Fs17.1-19.2Wo30.6-35.2, FeO/MnO=44±4, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An96.2±0.5 (An95.2-96.8, n=7).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 22.2 g, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Main mass with Salamu Ali.

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15605 (NWA 15605)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022 August
Mass: 1000 g (many pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a group of meteorites hunters in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, in August, 2022.

Physical Characteristics: Many dark grayish fragments without fusion crust. The two largest fragments weigh 467.8 and 255.3 g, respectively.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) The meteorite is a fine-grained breccia predominantly composed of up to 700 µm sized anorthite fragments plus less abundant olivine, low-Ca-pyroxene, and augite all set in in a fine-grained felspathic matrix. Minor phases include ilmenite, chromite, and troilite.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake) olivine: Fa47.5±0.3 (Fa47.2-48.0, FeO/MnO=86±4, n=7); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs40.6±0.2Wo2.5±0.2 (Fs40.4-40.9Wo2.3-3.0, FeO/MnO=52±3, n=7); zoned pyroxene: Fs26.6±4.5Wo22.3±9.3 (Fs20.5-31.9Wo10.4-35.1, FeO/MnO=51±5, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An96.7±0.7 (An95.5-97.8, n=7).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 33.1 g, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Main mass with Salamu Ali.

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15612 (NWA 15612)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022 May
Mass: 90 g (6 pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a group of meteorites hunters in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, in May, 2022.

Physical Characteristics: Six dark grayish fragments without fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) The meteorite is a fine-grained breccia composed of up to 3 mm sized mineral fragments of anorthite, olivine with disitnct chemical compositions, low-Ca-pyroxene, and augite plus some melt fragments set in a very fine-grained feldspathic matrix. Minor phases include ilmenite, chromite, troilite, and FeNi metal.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake) olivine: Fa21.4±0.5 (Fa20.6-22.2, FeO/MnO=83±9, n=7); magnesian olivine: Fa14.0±0.8 (Fa12.5-15.2, FeO/MnO=82±9, n=7); zoned olivine: Fa11.8±3.3 (Fa6.6-16.8, FeO/MnO=76±8, n=7); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs11.8±0.1Wo2.9±0.1 (Fs11.8-12.0Wo2.8-3.0, FeO/MnO=45±3, n=7); Ca-pyroxene: Fs9.9±0.9Wo29.3±2.5 (Fs9.0-11.7Wo34.8-41.8, FeO/MnO=41±8, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An96.7±0.3 (An96.3-97.3, n=7).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 18 g, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Main mass with Salamu Ali.

Randy Says…

I have not studied these meteorites. I put them on the same page only for comparison in that they were all purchased in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, at various times in 2022,  Salamu Ali holds the main masses, and all were classified by Ansgar Greshake.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15603 | 15604 | 15605 | 15612

Lunar Meteorites

List – ABC123 Order

List – Al2O3 Order