Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 17217

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113

Northwest Africa 17217 (NWA 17217)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2023
Mass: 300 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a dealer in Rio de Oro, Morocco.

Physical characteristics: Grayish rock mostly covered with black fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) Breccia composed of up to 1.5 cm sized gabbroic and quench-textured melt clasts plus abundant up to 4 mm sized mineral fragments in a fine-grained clastic matrix with some glassy regions. Dominant minerals are anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and Ca-pyroxene. Minor phases include ilmenite, chromite, troilite, and FeNi metal.

Geochemistry: (A. Greshake, MNB) olivine: Fa_29.1±0.2 (Fa_28.6-29.3, FeO/MnO=91±5, n=7); ferroan olivine: Fa_36.7±0.4 (Fa_36.2-37.6, FeO/MnO=96±7, n=7); magnesian olivine: Fa_6.9±0.1 (Fa_6.8-7.1, FeO/MnO=114±16, n=6); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs_20.0±1.0Wo_4.0±0.8 (Fs_18.0-21.0Wo_3.2-5.7, FeO/MnO=63±6, n=7); Ca-pyroxene: Fs_12.2±0.4Wo_43.8±0.6 (Fs_11.6-12.7Wo_42.8-44.7, FeO/MnO=45±5, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An_97.0±0.5 (An_96.4-97.7, n=7).

Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia.

Specimens: 20.1 g at MNB; main mass with Polandmet – Marcin Cimala.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 17217.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 17217