Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 16894
from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113 Northwest Africa 16894 (NWA 16894)Western Sahara Lunar meteorite (basaltic breccia) History: Purchased jointly by Ahmed Salek and Omar Bourki in April 2023 from a nomad in Tindouf named Mohamed Salem Brahim. Petrography: (C. Herd, UAb) Optical and microprobe examination of a polished thin section shows a highly fragmented breccia containing a variety of primarily mineral clasts up to 1 mm across of augite and pigeonite with fine exsolution lamellae, plagioclase, and minor olivine, silica, ilmenite and zircon. Rounded impact melt clasts up to 2 mm across are also present. Shock effects include mosaicism in mafic minerals and planar fractures in olivine. There is no obvious terrestrial alteration. Geochemistry: (C. Herd and A. Locock, UAb) Data obtained by EPMA of carbon-coated thin section: pigeonite Fs32.0±9.4Wo12.8±2.5, FeO/MnO=54±7 (n=7), augite Fs38.5±9.8Wo29.7±5.7, FeO/MnO=64±7 (n=23), olivine Fo48±31, FeO/MnO=93±4, range Fo6.5-75.8 (n=5), plagioclase Ab5.8±1.7An93.9±1.8Or0.3±0.3, range An91.3-96.7 (n=15). Classification: Lunar (basaltic breccia). Specimens: Type specimen of 25.9 g plus thin section at UAb, main mass with Ahmed Salek and Omar Bourki. |
Randy Says… I have not studied Northwest Africa 16894. |
More InformationMeteoritical Bulletin Database NWA 16894 |