Dhofar 026

Oman

Found 2000 March 6

L unar meteorite (anorthositic crystalline melt breccia)

A brownish gray stone weighing 148 g was found in the Dhofar region of Oman.  Mineralogy and classification (M. Nazarov and M.Ivanova, Vernad):  fusion crust absent; meteorite is a clast-poor, anorthositic, crystalline melt breccia containing rare mineral fragments and clasts of feldspathic rocks embedded in a completely devitrified fine-grained matrix; vesicles are abundant; sphere-shaped, chondrule-like inclusions, and rare impact-melt veins are present; feldspar, An_96–98; olivine (a dominant mafic phase), Fo_61–79 (Fe/Mn = 80–120 at); low-Ca pyroxene, En_53–63Wo_8–20 (with 0.13–0.84 wt% TiO₂, Fe/Mn = 40–60 at); high-Ca pyroxene, En_43–50 Wo_27–33 (with 1.1–3.5 wt% TiO₂, Fe/Mn = 40–50 at); accessory minerals are silica, ilmenite (MgO = 7 wt%), troilite, and Fe,Ni metal; a prominent positive Eu anomaly (Sm/Eu = 1.04) is present; terrestrial weathering is not significant.  The meteorite is completely different in texture and composition from Dhofar 025, but pairing must still be considered because of the proximity of the finds to one another.  Specimens:  type specimen, 41 g plus two thin sections, Vernad; main mass with anonymous finder.