Dhofar 490

Oman

Lunar meteorite (anorthositic fragmental breccia)

Found 2001 March 17

A dark grey, crusted stone weighing 34.05 g was found in the Dhofar region of Oman. Classification and mineralogy (A. Greshake, MNB; M. Kurz, Kurz): meteorite is an anorthositic fragmental breccia consisting of clasts of various lithologies embedded into a glassy, partly devitrified fine-grained matrix; the clast size is generally below 3 mm; vesicles are abundant; feldspar: An96.0–99.3; pyroxene: Fs11.5–35.7Wo8.2–44.9 and olivine: Fa30.6–50.0; augites dominate over Ca-poor pyroxenes and often contain pigeonite exsolution lamellae; accessory phases are Fe-Ni metal and ilmenite; crystalline fragments include microporphyritic impact melt breccias, intersertal impact melt clasts, gabbroic anorthosites, and large feldspar; no mare basalt clasts and no glass spherules have been identified; feldspar generally shows pronounced undulatory extinction and sometimes mosaicism indicating strong shock metamorphism; the meteorite is moderately weathered; gypsum, celestite and calcite occur in cracks and holes; Dho 490 may be paired with Dho 280, since they were found nearby and have similar mineralogical characteristics. Specimens: 7 g and one thin section, MNB; main mass with anonymous finder.