Northwest Africa 10415 (NWA 10415)

(Northwest Africa)

Purchased: 2015

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Aras Jonikas purchased three stones from a Moroccan dealer in Guelmim, in August 2015.

Physical characteristics: Three identical appearing stones, 144, 15, and 5 g, with eathered exteriors. A saw cut reveals prominent light-colored feldspathic clasts, also numerous dark-gray clasts, and some shock melt veins and vesicles.

Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This is a fragmental, cataclastic, shock-melted lunar meteorite. Numerous feldspar grains and scattered olivines and pyroxenes are present throughout. There are shock melt domains present with vesicles. Accessory troilite, chromite, and Fe-oxides were observed.

Geochemistry: (C. Agee and N. Muttik, UNM) olivine Fa_39.1±0.3, Fe/Mn=104±8, n=2; pigeonite Fs_43.0±1.8Wo_8.9±0.8, Fe/Mn=60±5, n=2; augite Fs_33.3±12.7Wo_35.0±6.5, Fe/Mn=64±5, n=2 plagioclase An_96.8±0.3, n=2; Shock melt (20 μm defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO₂=46.2±1.2, TiO₂=0.17±0.13, Al₂O₃=31.6±4.4, Cr₂O₃=0.06±0.05, MgO=3.2±2.4, FeO=3.2±2.3, MnO=0.05±0.04, CaO=17.6±1.8, NiO=0.02±0.02, Na₂O=0.34±0.03, K₂O=0.10±0.04 (all wt%), MgO+FeO=6.5±4.7 (wt%), n=5.

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia), high alumina.

Specimens: 20.2 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Aras Jonikas holds the main mass.