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

[Greg Hupe]

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 Hupé, 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