Northwest Africa 10973 (NWA 10973)
(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2016 Sep
Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)
History: Purchased by John Higgins in September 2016 from a dealer in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
Physical characteristics: A single dark stone (25 g) lacking fusion crust. The fresh interior exhibits small white clasts within a dominant, dark-gray matrix containing sparse vesicles.
Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of small angular mineral clasts of anorthite, bytownite, pigeonite, olivine, orthopyroxene, Mg-merrillite, ilmenite and kamacite in a finer matrix containing sparse vesicles.
Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa40.1-47.0, FeO/MnO = 84-88, N = 3), orthopyroxene (Fs24.2-36.7Wo4.9-4.1, FeO/MnO = 52-56, N = 2), pigeonite (Fs24.8Wo14.7, FeO/MnO = 46; Fs43.4Wo17.6, FeO/MnO = 54), plagioclase (An90.3Or0.4; An81.5Or1.4; N = 2).
Classification: Lunar (feldspathic regolith breccia).
Specimens: 5.01 g including one polished slice at UWB; remainder with Mr. J. Higgins.