Lunar Meteorite: Sayh al Uhaymir 300

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 91

Sayh al Uhaymir 300

Al Wusta, Oman
Find: 21 February 2004
Mass: 152.6 g (1 piece)

Achondrite (lunar feldspathic regolith)

History and physical characteristics: One gray-green individual of 152.6 g without fusion crust was discovered by Th. and P. Kurtz of Bartoschewitz natural science expedition team on a gravel plateau about 42 km SSE of Al Ghaba Resthouse (Adam County).

Petrography: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart; P. Appel and B. Mader, Kiel; W. Hsu, PMtOb) Polymict breccias (anorthosite, troctolitic anorthosite, noritic gabbro, and anorthositic gabbro), mineral fragments (anorthite, olivine, and pyroxenes), and glass veins are set in a fine-grained matrix of anorthositic olivine-gabbro composition. Accessory minerals are kamacite, troilite, chromite, ulvöspinel, spinel, armalcolite, and ilmenite.

Mineral compositions and geochemistry: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart; P. Appel and B. Mader, Kiel; U. Krähenbühl, Bern; R. Niedergesaess, R. Pepelnik, and U. Reus, GKSS) Olivine (Fa_26.8±5.2; mg# = 16.2–41.0), pyroxene (Fs_25.6±4.7Wo_11.0±5.6; mg# = 57–82), plagioclase (An_95.8±0.6), metal (Ni = 39–116, Co = 11–5 [both mg/g]). Bulk Al₂O₃ = 20.4 wt%; FeO + MgO = 16.7 wt%; Th = 0.46; Sm = 1.1 ppm. The bulk FeO/MnO = 70.8, while the ratio in olivine and pyroxene are 83 and 49, respectively. Noble gas isotopes: (J. Park and K. Nagao, UTokE; R. Okazaki, KyuU) No solar gases, and low concentration of radiogenic isotope ⁴He. Magnetic susceptibility: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart) log chi = 3.54 × 10^-9 m³/kg.

Classification: Achondrite (lunar feldspathic regolith breccia).

Type specimen: A total of 20 g of sample is on deposit at Kiel. Th. and P. Kurtz hold the main mass. R. Bartoschewitz holds 5.3 g and a thin section.

Randy Says…

SaU 300 is a crystalline impact-melt breccia that is  a moderately mafic but low KREEP elements. It is compositionally and texturally very similar to NWA 4932, collected ~3400 km away. The two stones may have been blasted off the Moon by the same impact.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Sayh al Uhaymir 300

Map

Schematic Map of  Find Locations of  Lunar Meteorite from Oman

References

Bartoschewitz R., Park J., Nagao K., Okazaki R., Niedergesaess R., Pepelnik R., Reus U., and Kurtz Th. (2005) Lunar meteotite SaU 300 – Noble gas isotopes. 68th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5026.

Bartoschewitz R., Niedergesaess R., Pepelnik R., Reus U., Krähenbühl U., and Kurtz Th. (2005) Chemical classification of “SaU 300”. 68th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5024.

Bartoschewitz R., Appel P., Mader B., and Kurtz Th. (2005) Sayh Al Uhaymir 300 — A New Lunar Meteorite. 68th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5023.

Bartoschewitz R., Park J., Nagao K., Okazaki R., and Kurtz Th. (2009) Lunar meteorite SaU 300 — Noble gas record. 72nd Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5101.

Calzada-Diaz A., Joy K. H., and Crawford I. A. (2016) Investigation of lunar meteorites potentially sourced from cryptomare regions. 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 2075.

Fritz J. (2012) Impact ejection of lunar meteorites and the age of Giordano Bruno. Icarus 221, 1183-1186.

Hsu W., Guan Y., Ushikubo T., Bartoschewitz R., Zhang A., Kurtz Th., and Kurtz P. (2006) Petrology and REE geochemistry of the lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300. 69th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5200.

Hsu W., Zhang A., Guan Y., Ushikubo T., Bartoschewitz R. (2007) Sayh al Uhaymir 300: Petrology, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII, abstract no. 1149.

Hsu W., Zhang A., Bartoschewitz R., Guan Y., Ushikubo T., Krähenbühl U., Niedergesaess R., Pepelnik R., Reus U., Kurtz T., and Kurtz P. (2008) Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 43, 1363-1381.

Hudgins J. A., Walton E. L., and Spray J. G. (2007) Mineralogy, petrology, and shock history of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300: A crystalline impact melt breccia. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII, abstract no. 1674.

Hudgins J. A., Walton E. L., Spray J. G. (2007) Mineralogy, petrology, and shock history of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300: A crystalline impact-melt breccia. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 42, 1763-1779.

Korotev R. L. (2012) Lunar meteorites from Oman. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 47, 1365-1402.

Korotev R. L. (2017) Update (2012–2017) on lunar meteorites from Oman. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 52, 1251-1256.

All Korotev data on Omani lunar meteorites.

Korotev R. L., Bartoschewitz R., Kurtz Th., and Kurtz P. (2007) Sayh al Uhaymir 300 – The most mafic of the feldspathic lunar meteorites. 70th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5006.

Korotev R. L., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2008) Keeping up with the lunar meteorites – 2008. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX, abstract no. 1209.

Korotev R. L, Zeigler R. A., Jolliff B. L., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2009) Compositional and lithological diversity among brecciated lunar meteorites of intermediate iron composition. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 44, 1287-1322.