Lunar Meteorite: Queen Alexandra Range 93069 & 94269

Listed in The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 79

from Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, vol. 17, No. 2, 1994 (PDF p. 3)

Queen Alexandra Range 93069 (QUE 93069)

Dimensions (cm): 5.0 x 2.2 x 2.3
Mass: 21.4 g (1 piece)
Weathering: A/B
Fracturing: B

Meteorite Type: Lunar-anorthositic  breccia

Macroscopic Description: Cecilia Satterwhite and Marilyn Lindstrom. The overall shape of this lunar meteorite is approximately one third of a flat ovoid. Thick gray-green frothy fusion crust covers the top while thin granular medium olive green-brown fusion crust covers the bottom. The north face is a fractured surface with exposed interior matrix and abundant fractures. This surface consists of black matrix with abundant millimeter sized white/ gray clasts. Some clasts have weathered to a yellowish color. One gray clast is visible in a fracture. Cleaving this meteorite revealed a lighter gray matrix with small clasts of various sizes. One white, friable clast (3 x 2 mm) is directly below the fusion crust. An area 2 x 2 mm near this clast has a uniform, dusty-gray appearance with an indistinguishable border. All of the clasts present are small and friable and unfortunately may not be extractable.

Thin Section (,5) Description: Brian Mason. The section shows a microbreccia of small plagioclase grains and granular clasts, up to 0.6 mm across, in a translucent to semi-opaque brown glassy matrix; colorless vesicular fusion crust is present on one edge. There is one large clast, 2.4 x 3.6 mm, of pale brown partly devitrified glass. Traces of metallic iron, as irregular grains up to 40 microns, are present. Microprobe analyses show that the plagioclase is almost pure anorthite (Na₂O 0.3-0.4%, K₂O less than 0.1%). The composition of the fusion crust, probably a reasonable approximation for the bulk meteorite, is (weight percent): SiO₂ 44, Al₂O₃ 27, FeO 4.4, MgO 4.5, CaO 16, Na₂O 0.32, K₂O less than 0.1 %, TiO₂ 0.24, MnO 0.10. The FeO : MnO ratio is high, 44-75, characteristic of lunar material. The meteorite is an anorthositic microbreccia, presumably of lunar origin. In thin section, it is very similar to MAC 88105 (Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter 12(2), 1989).

Listed in The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 79

from Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, vol. 18, No. 2, 1995

Queen Alexandra Range 94269 (QUE 94269)

Dimensions (cm): 1.9 x 1.4 x 1.3
Mass: 3.2 g (1 piece)

Meteorite Type: Lunar-Anorthositic Breccia

Macroscopic Description: Roberta Score. This lunar meteorite is identical to QUE93069 and would probably fit together if QUE93069 was still in one piece. One side of this flat stone has thick gray-green, frothy fusion crust. The other side has thin, weathered, dull green-brown fusion crust. A fractured surface reveals the interior matrix which is dark gray to black with abundant inclusions. The largest inclusion is white and measures 1.0 x 0.2 cm. The newly exposed interior surface has a lighter gray-colored matrix and abundant white and gray clasts. One white clast measures 0.4 x 0.2 cm. Other inclusions present include fine-grained, buff-colored clasts, several brecciated gray clasts, and smaller white clasts. Many clasts have weathered to a yellowish color. As in QUE93069, most of the clasts are small and friable and, unfortunately, are not extractable.

Thin Section (,5 and ,7) Description: Brian Mason. The sections show a microbreccia of granular clasts, up to 1.5 mm across, and small plagioclase grains, in a translucent to semi-opaque brown glassy matrix; one grain of metallic iron, 0.3 mm across, was noted. Most of the plagioclase is almost pure anorthite (Na₂O 0.3-0.5%, K₂O less than 0.1%), with a few grains with higher Na₂O, up to 3.2%. QUE94269,7 has a 3 mm clast of subequal amounts of plagioclase and pyroxene; the plagioclase is anorthite (Na₂O 0.3-0.5%), the pyroxene ranges from Wo₅Fs₃₉ to Wo₃₄Fs₂₂ with fairly uniform En content. This specimen is a lunar meteorite, very similar to QUE93069 (Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter 17(2), 1994), with which it is certainly paired.

Randy Says…

The regolith (soil) from which QUE 93069/94269 derives had more exposure at the surface of the Moon than that of most regolith breccias. That is why it has such a vesicular fusion crust and high concentrations of iridium from asteroidal meteorites. Compositionally, it is a typical feldspathic lunar meteorite.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

QUE 93069 | 94269

Map

ANSMET Location Map

References

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