Lunar Meteorite: Sayh al Uhaymir 449

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 93

Sayh al Uhaymir 449

Sultanate of Oman
Find: 2006 March 19
Mass: 16.5 g (1 piece)

Lunar (feldspathic impact melt breccia)

History: This meteorite was found on a limestone plateau in the Dhofar desert of Sultanate of Oman, far from any other known lunar meteorites.

Physical characteristics: A single brownish to dark green stone weighing 16.5 g, with no fusion crust.

Petrography: (Ivanova M.A. and Nazarov M.A., Vernad) The meteorite is a clast-rich impact melt breccia containing numerous mineral fragments and lithic clasts embedded in a fine-grained impact-melt matrix. The lithic clast population is dominated by impact-melt breccias of anorthositic, gabbroic, and noritic compositions. The size range of the clasts is 0.01-10 mm, and the main minerals are pyroxene, feldspar, and minor olivine, silica, chromite, ilmenite, Ca-phosphate, troilite and FeNi metal.

Mineral compositions and geochemistry: (Ivanova M.A. and Kononkova N.N., Vernad.) Feldspar (An_93.4-97.4Ab_2.5-9.2), clinopyroxene (En_6.5-71.1Wo_5.1-44.1; Fe/Mn = 61), orthopyroxene (En_53.2-79.5Wo_3.3-4.7; Fe/Mn = 59); olivine (Fo_50.5-76.7; Fe/Mn = 96), ilmenite (MgO = 3.6 wt%). Average glassy matrix composition: SiO₂ = 46.2, TiO₂ = 0.33, Al₂O₃ = 25.6, FeO = 5.80, MgO = 4.85, CaO = 15.33, Na₂O = 0.38 [all in wt.%].

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic impact melt breccia); minor weathering, Fe hydroxides are present.

Specimen: A type specimen of 3.6 g and one thin section are on deposit at Vernad. An anonymous finder holds the main mass of the meteorite.

Randy Says…

Compositionally, SaU 449 is moderately mafic and moderately rich in KREEP elements and FeNi metal.

Compositionally and texturally, our samples of SaU 449  are just like Dhofar 925 and Dhofar 960 , reportedly collected ~340 km to the southwest. That is probably too far apart for the stones to be terrestrially paired, but they are likely launch pairs.

The Dhofar 925 pair group and SaU 149 are compositionally indistinguishable from the Northwest Africa 8673 clan.  The textures are different, however.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Sayh al Uhaymir 449

Map

Schematic Map of  Find Locations of  Lunar Meteorite from Oman

References

Calzada-Diaz A., Joy K. H., Crawford I. A., and Nordheim T. A. (2015) Constraining the source regions of lunar meteorites using orbital geochemical data. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 50, 214-228.

Joy K. H., Nemchin A., Grange M., Lapen T. J., Peslier A. H., Ross D. K., Zolensky M. E., and Kring D. A. (2014) Petrography, geochronology and source terrain characteristics of lunar meteorites Dhofar 925, 961 and Sayh al Uhaymir 449. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 144, 299-325.

Korochantseva E. V., Buikin A. I., Hopp J., Korochantsev A. V., and Trieloff M. (2016) ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar results of lunar meteorites Dhofar 025, 280, 309, 730, 733, 1436, 1442, SaU 449, NWA 6888. 79th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 6317.

Korotev R. L. (2011) Lunar meteorites from Antarctica and Oman. 74th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 5073.

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., Zeigler R. A., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2009) Keeping up with the Lunar Meteorites – 2009. 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1137.

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.

Korotev R. L., Zeigler R. A., and Jolliff B. L. (2010) New geochemical constraints on pairing of the Dhofar 961 clan of lunar meteorites. 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 2126.

Nazarov M. A., Aranovich Ya., Demidova S. I., Ntaflos T., and Brandstätter F. (2011) Aluminous enstatites of lunar meteorites and deep-seated lunar rocks. Petrology 19, 13-25.

Zeigler R. A., Jolliff B. L., and Korotev R. L. (2010) Petrography and pairing relationships of lunar meteorites Sayh al Uhaymir 449 and Dhofar 925, 960, and 961. 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1985.

Zeigler R. A., Jolliff B. L., and Korotev R. L. (2013) Lunar meteorites Sayh al Uhaymir 449 and Dhofar 925, 960, and 961: Windows into South Pole Aitken Basin?. 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 2437.