Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 16535

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113

Northwest Africa 16535 (NWA 16535)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2022
Mass: 165 g (5 pieces)

Lunar meteorite (melt breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a dealer in Morocco.

Physical Characteristics: Five grayish-greenish fragments lacking fusion crust.

Petrography: (Ansgar Greshake, MNB) Melt breccia composed of up to 1 cm sized mostly angular to subrounded grayish-greenish clasts set in abundant melt rock matrix. Major phases are Ca-rich plagioclase, often zoned augite and less abundant olivine. Minor phases include ilmenite, chromite, and troilite.

Geochemistry: (Ansgar Greshake, MNB) olivine: Fa_37.9±0.5 (Fa_37.3-38.5, FeO/MnO=80±6, n=7); zoned Ca-pyroxene: Fs_16.6±1.8Wo_35.8±5.3 (Fs_13.9-19.1Wo_26.6-42.0, FeO/MnO=39±3, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An_96.2±0.2 (An_95.9-96.6, n=7)

Classification: Melt breccia (anorthositic norite/gabbro) based on Stoeffler et al. (1980). Possibly paired with Adrar 013.

Specimens: 20.2 g at Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Main mass with Mario Suppes.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 16535. Both NWA 16535 and Adrar 013 were classified by Ansgar Greshake.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 16535