[meteorite-list] New Lunar Meteorite Discovered - NWA 3163

From: Greg Hupe <gmhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Nov 1 18:52:50 2005
Message-ID: <0b4401c5df3f$5af29c30$e8115c18_at_Gregor>

Dear List Members,

I am very pleased to announce the discovery of a new Lunar meteorite, NWA
3163.

Here is what we know at this point:
NWA 3163 (Provisional) - Ultra-Rare Lunar Feldspathic Granulite Meteorite

A single 1,634 gram meteorite, believed to have been found in Mauritania or
Algeria, was purchased in Morocco in August 2005 by Greg Hup?, who thought
at first that it may be an unusual eucrite or diogenite. Actually it is a
Lunar Feldspathic Granulite and represents the largest known sample of this
rare rock type available for scientific study. It is composed primarily of
maskelynite (shocked plagioclase) with lesser amounts of pyroxene, olivine,
chromite and other minerals. This extremely rare type of lunar rock is
known from small clasts in a few Apollo 15, 16 and 17 samples.

Click here for image of Main Mass

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa3163/nwa3163a.jpg



Click here for image of 74.1 gram Complete Slice

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa3163/nwa3163slice2c.jpg



NWA 3163 is almost completely coated by a thin, transparent greenish fusion
crust, and the fresh, pale gray interior has multiple shock fractures and
some thin glass veinlets. It is a metamorphic rock representing a
recrystallized, extremely fine-grained breccia derived originally from
essentially monomict (or genomict) olivine gabbro or diabase lithologies.



The mineral compositions are characteristic of ferroan anorthosite (FAN)
igneous rocks from the very ancient lunar highlands, and this specimen is
classified as a hornfelsic granulitic impactite, interpreted to have been
produced by burial metamorphism deep in the lunar crust of impact-comminuted
olivine gabbroic to diabasic rocks. Excavation from such a deep site is
consistent with the abundance of maskelynite.



NWA 3163 has already stirred up excitement among the scientific community.
Here are a couple of quotes from some of the scientists:



"This. has the fascinating combination of being at the mafic end of the
range of feldspathic lunar meteorites but with low concentrations of
incompatible elements."



"NWA 3163 appears unique" (among lunar meteorites).



Thin section image in cross-polarized light showing plagioclase/maskelynite
(black) and very fine-grained mafic minerals (beige).

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa3163/nwa3163c.jpg



False-color, back-scattered electron image 1

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa3163/nwa3163d.jpg



False-color, back-scattered electron image 2

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa3163/nwa3163e.jpg



Click here for information from Washington University in St. Louis

http://epsc.wustl.edu/admin/resources/meteorites/moon_meteorites_list.html



The type specimen is already being analyzed at the University of Washington,
Washington University St. Louis, University of California Berkeley Space
Sciences Laboratory and University of Arizona. These and other analyses
will establish the bulk chemical composition, space age and terrestrial age
of NWA 3163. This unique meteorite will be very relevant for the newly
planned NASA missions to the Moon that will be attempting to retrieve
samples of the deep lunar crust.



Available specimens:

After cutting a few slices to make available to collectors and satisfy the
type sample requirement, the main mass now weighs 1,121 grams. If you are
interested in a specimen, please email me directly and I will offer you a
great deal. Pretty much the larger the specimen, the better the deal. I
would like to find a good home for the main mass, so if you are interested,
feel free to make an offer. There are five complete slices, three of which
are polished on both sides. The other available slices and part slices are
polished on one side. The largest 74.1 gram complete slice (picture link
above) has already been sold.


Best regards,

Greg Hupe
The Hupe Collection
NaturesVault (eBay)
gmhupe_at_tampabay.rr.com
IMCA 2185
Received on Tue 01 Nov 2005 06:52:43 PM PST