Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 17060

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113

Northwest Africa 17060 (NWA 17060)

Mauritania
Purchased: 2023
Mass: 137 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (melt breccia)

Physical Characteristics: Grey stone with various clast lithologies observable in hand specimen, set in a dark melt.

Petrography: (J. T. Mitchell, UMin) Melt-rich breccia with predominantly lithic clasts and fragments of plagioclase, olivine, low- and high-Ca pyroxene, and ilmenite set in a glassy matrix. Clasts are predominantly basalt and anorthosite material with less abundant granoblastic clasts. The majority of clasts measure 70-600 µm but the largest reach ~1 cm. Mineral fragments are typically <300 µm in size. Olivine and pyroxene in clasts and in the matrix often displays zoning. Flow features can be seen in the melt throughout the sample.

Geochemistry: (J. T. Mitchell, UMin) Plagioclase An_93.9-98.2Or_0.0-0.1, mean An_96.1±0.9Or_0.03±0.02 (n=28). Olivine Fa_33.3-41.5, mean Fa_38.9±2.4 (n=13), FeO/MnO=114.8. Low-Ca pyroxene Fs_19.1-37.9Wo_1.9-8.3, mean Fs_30.8±5.3Wo_5.1±2.4, FeO/MnO=61.9 (n=8). High-Ca pyroxene Fs_14.1-20.0Wo_34.2-40.2, mean Fs_16.1±2.6Wo_37.8±2.4, FeO/MnO 58.0 (n=5).

Classification: Lunar melt breccia.

Specimens: 21.7 g: A number of slices and a resin mount; main mass with Craig Zlimen.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 17060.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 17060