Description
5.2g full slice. Sold in a box with label/certificate.
Araouane 001 18°54’18″N, 3°35’42″W
Gao, Mali
Purchased: 2024
Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)
History: The meteorite was found west of the village Araouane, Mali, and purchased by the main mass holder from a local dealer.
Physical characteristics: Dark grayish rock lacking fusion crust.
Petrography: Fragmental breccia composed of up to 250 µm sized gabbroic clasts plus abundant up to 5 mm sized mineral fragments in a fine-grained clastic matrix of related material. Dominant minerals are anorthite partly converted into maskelynite, olivine, pigeonite, and augite. Minor phases include Mg-Al-spinel, ilmenite, chromite, and troilite. No metal detected. Contains veins filled with secondary calcite and barite.
Geochemistry: olivine: Fa30.9±0.5 (Fa30.3-31.9, FeO/MnO=84±5; n=7); ferroan olivine: Fa49.4±0.2 (Fa49.0-49.5, FeO/MnO=92±5; n=7); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs23.0±0.1Wo3.0±0.3 (Fs22.7-23.2Wo2.5-3.3, FeO/MnO=48±4, n=7); pigeonite: Fs29.7±0.5Wo16.4±0.8 (Fs28.9-30.1Wo15.5-17.5, FeO/MnO=50±1, n=3); augite: Fs17.8±0.9Wo34.9±1.7 (Fs16.5-19.2Wo31.4-36.7, FeO/MnO=48±4, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An96.8±0.3 (An96.4-97.4, n=7)
