NEA 001 Lunar Meteorite
 
 

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This is a half individual with a a polised face weighing 27.7 grams.   It measures 47mm across the face diagonally, 32 mm across the face horizontally, 27 mm across the face vertically and 16mm thick.  All measurements taken at widest point.

Photos © Marshall Bendelac.

 

 

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This endcut specimen weighs 34.5 grams.  The cut face measures 50.5 mm by 26.4.  The thickness of the enduct from face to back is 20.1mm.

 

 
 

 

from The Meteoritical Bulletin No. 89

  • Northeast Africa 001

  • Found April 2002 in Sudan 

  • Lunar meteorite (olivine-pyroxene basalt)

Lunar meteorite (anorthositic regolith breccia) A brownish gray stone weighing 262 g was found by a prospector in northern Sudan near the Libya/Egypt/Sudan boundary in 2002 April. Fusion crust is absent, fresh surface is gray to dark gray, and terrestrial alteration products are present at the meteorite edges and in penetrating cracks and veins. Classification and mineralogy (J. Haloda and P. Tycova, PCU): a clast-rich anorthositic regolith breccia containing numerous mineral fragments and lithic clasts embedded in a well-consolidated microcrystalline impact melt matrix. Lithic clasts (up to 1 cm in size) are mainly of anorthositic lithologies; impact-melt breccias of anorthositic composition are abundant and show commonly breccia-in-breccia textures. Fragments of primary igneous rocks of anorthositic to gabbroic composition are common, containing plagioclase An95.1-97.2, low-Ca pyroxene En46-65 Wo2.1-5 and high-Ca pyroxene En35-48Wo37-44 and rare olivine Fo79.4. Sparse clasts of mare basalts (consisting of pigeonite+ anorthite+accessory ilmenite), and glass fragments and spherules are present. Mineral fragments are of various composition: feldspar, An92-99; orthopyroxene, Wo2-4En49-80; clinopyroxene, Wo9-39En50-87; olivine, Fo48-82 (Fe/Mn 93-100 atom%); accessory minerals are Mg-Al spinel, chromite, ilmenite (2-5 wt% MgO), troilite, FeNi metal and silica. Several pyroxene grains have marginal symplectitic intergrowths of fayalite+ hedenbergite+silica after former pyroxferroite. Composition of the impact-melt matrix is (wt%): SiO2 = 45.7, Al2O3 = 24.1, FeO = 7.2, MgO = 7.4, CaO = 14.6, Na2O = 0.5, TiO2 = 0.5. Secondary calcite, barite, gypsum and Fe hydroxides occur in cracks. Specimens: type specimen, 20 g, and one polished thin section, PCU; 5.8 g, and one polished thin section, UWS; 59.66 g, ROM; 60 g, Hupé; 9.7 g, Gregory; main mass with finder.

 
 

Additional Information

Lunar meteorite Northeast Africa 001: An anorthositic regolith breccia with mixed highland/mare components (abstract). In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, no. 1487, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston.

Compositions of three lunar meteorites: Meteorite Hills 01210, Northeast Africa 001, and Northwest Africa 3136 (abstract). In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, abstract no. 1220, 36th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston.

 

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