 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Lunar Meteorite NWA 7986

   January 13, 2021

    Luna f

   Photographer:  Michela Meda
   Summary Author:  Michela Meda

    Lunar meteorites, also called  lunaites, are  achondritic
   meteorites that originated from  the Moon and fell on Earth as a
   result of a strong  meteoritic impact on the lunar surface that was
   able to project rocky fragments into space. It’s a rather rare  type
   of meteorite: the  Meteoritical Bulletin Database lists 428 examples
   of this type as of November 2020. The largest lunar meteorite
   classified is  Northwest Africa 12691 (NWA 12691), a single rock
   weighing 229 lbs (103.8 kg) found in January 2017 on the Western
   Sahara/Algeria border region. The fragment in the photograph is a small
   part of the original meteorite (43 oz/12.2 g). It’s a breccia of
   primarily feldspathic lithologies (feldspathic breccia). Petrography
   shows an abundant, partly devitrified, glassy matrix containing
   embedded small mineral and lithic clasts. Minerals included are
    olivine,  orthopyroxene,  pigeonite,  augite,
    anorthite,  ilmenite,  troilite and  minor kamacite. It
   was purchased from a Moroccan dealer at the  Ensisheim Meteorite
   Show. Worldwide there are about 1,355 lbs (615 kg) of lunar meteorites
   and only a few of them are available on the market for
   collectors. Photo taken November 21, 2020.

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Applied Sciences Links

     *  BBC: World Water Crisis
     *  Indoor Air Quality
     *  Mathematics in Nature
     *  A Mathematical Nature Walk
     *  NASA: Applied Earth Sciences
     *  Remote Sensing Tutorial

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
