Name: Elephant Moraine 96008 This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name. Abbreviation: EET 96008 Observed fall: No Year found: 1996 Country: Antarctica [Collected by US Antarctic Search for Meteorites program (ANSMET)] Mass: 53 g
Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride 50% of this meteorite is covered by a black glassy fusion crust. Areas that lack fusion crust appear virtually unweathered. The fusion crust is very thinly distributed over the surface of the rock. The matrix is fine grained, medium gray with numerous inclusions. These inclusions are white, light gray and tan and are angular and subangular in shape. Metal and rust are not visible. This is a brecciated basalt, possibly lunar in origin.
Thin Section (,4) Description: Brian Mason The section shows a microbreccia of pyroxene and plagioclase clasts, up to 1.2 mm across; traces of nickel-iron and sulfide are present, as small scattered grains. Microprobe analyses show that most of the pyroxene ranges from Wo11Fs31 to Wo40 Fs18, with a few more iron-rich grains; plagioclase composition is An93-96. A few olivine grains of variable composition, Fa41-64, were analyzed. Fe/Mn in pyroxene is about 70. The meteorite is a lunar basaltic breccia.
53 g
