Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15945

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112

Northwest Africa 15945 (NWA 15945)

Mauritania
Purchased: 2022 November
Mass: 476 g (3 pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Jasper Spencer in November 2022 from a Mauritanian dealer.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS, and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of angular mineral clasts plus some lithic gabbroic and melt rock clasts in a fine grained matrix containing troilite, ilmenite, high-Ti chromite, kamacite and submicron spherules of pentlandite. Major minerals include anorthite, olivine, unexsolved pigeonite (zoned to subcalcic augite rims), exsolved pigeonite and augite; subcalcic ferroaugite and labradorite are also present.

Geochemistry: Anorthite (An_95.7-97.0Or_0.1, N = 3), olivine (Fa_20.1-42.7, FeO/MnO = 81-97, N = 5), pigeonite core (Fs_30.7Wo_9.5, FeO/MnO = 51), subcalcic augite rim (Fs_46.0Wo_25.7, FeO/MnO = 88), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_29.1Wo_4.3, FeO/MnO = 61), augite (Fs_16.8Wo_40.3, FeO/MnO = 57), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs_42.8Wo_2.9, FeO/MnO = 56), augite exsolution lamella (Fs_18.9Wo_42.0, FeO/MnO = 47), subcalcic ferroaugite (Fs_70.4Wo_26.3, FeO/MnO = 91), labradorite (An_67.8Or_1.0).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 25.9 g including a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with Mr. J. Spencer.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15945.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15945