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Northwest Africa 6481
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 6481
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 6481
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2010
Country: Morocco
Mass:help 13.7 g
Classification
  history:
Meteoritical Bulletin:  MB 99  (2011)  Lunar (feld. brec.)
Recommended:  Lunar (feldsp. breccia)    [explanation]

This is 1 of 314 approved meteorites classified as Lunar (feldsp. breccia).   [show all]
Search for other: Lunar meteorites
Comments: Approved 15 Apr 2011
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 99:

Northwest Africa 6481 (NWA 6481)

Morocco

Found: August 2010

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Found on Hamada du Drâa, Morocco, in August 2010 and purchased by Stefan Ralew in November 2010 from a dealer in Ouarzazate, Morocco.

Physical characteristics: A small dark gray stone (13.7 g) lacking fusion crust and containing small white clasts.

Petrography: A fine grained fragmental breccia composed of mineral clasts, sparse lithic clasts (some with ophitic textures) and rare glass fragments. Mineral clasts include anorthitic plagioclase, subcalcic augite, augite, hedenbergite, pigeonite (some exsolved), olivine, ilmenite, kamacite and troilite.

Geochemistry: Pigeonite (Fs25.8-40.0Wo13.7-12.3, FeO/MnO = 54-63), subcalcic augite (Fs23.7Wo29.1, FeO/MnO = 51), augite (Fs16.3Wo43.2, FeO/MnO = 90), olivine (Fa32.6-33.1, FeO/MnO = 88-89), plagioclase (An95.1-96.5Or0.1). Bulk composition (R. Korotev, WUSL): FeO 4.7 wt%, La 3.5 ppm, Sm 1.6 ppm, Yb 1.32 ppm, Th 0.60 ppm.

Classification: Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: A total of 2.8 g is on deposit at UWS. The main mass is held by Ralew.

Data from:
  MB99
  Table 0
  Line 0:
Origin or pseudonym:Hamada du Drâa
Place of purchase:Ouarzazate
Date:August 2010
Mass (g):13.7
Pieces:1
Class:Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Shock stage:low
Weathering grade:low
Fayalite (mol%):32.6-33.1
Ferrosilite (mol%):25.8-40.0; 23.7; 16.3
Wollastonite (mol%):13.7-12.3; 29.1; 43.2
Classifier:A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS
Type spec mass (g):2.8
Type spec location:UWS
Main mass:Ralew
Comments:Submitted by A. Irving
Institutions
   and collections
UWS: University of Washington, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 70 Johnson Hall, Seattle, WA 98195, United States (institutional address; updated 15 Jan 2012)
WUSL: Washington Univ., One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States (institutional address; updated 17 Oct 2011)
Ralew: Stefan Ralew, Kunibertstraße 29, 12524 Berlin, Germany; Website (private address)
Catalogs:
References: Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 99, April 2012, MAPS 47, E1-E52 (2012) [published online only]
Find references in NASA ADS:
Find references in Google Scholar:
Photos:
CreditPhotos
Photos uploaded by members of the Encyclopedia of Meteorites.
    (Caution, these are of unknown reliability)
Mark Vornhusen   
Geography:

Morocco
Coordinates:Unknown.

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 1973 approved meteorites from Morocco (plus 37 unapproved names) (plus 1 impact crater)

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