Lunar Meteorite NWA 11421: X-Ray Tomogrpahy & Preliminary Petrology

Lunar meteorite NWA 11421 is provisionally placed with the "NWA 8046 clan" of similar stones (the "Algerian Megafind") of which at least 33 kg has been recovered. NWA 11421 and pairs are feldspathic regolith breccias, with angular fragments of plagioclase-rich clasts in a dark glassy matrix. Most members of this clan contain < 5.5% FeO and < 0.3 ppm Th. To date, there have been no petrographic studies reported of these lunar meteorites. An 11.7 gm sample of NWA 11421 was purchased from Marcin Cimala, holder of the main mass - this sample is consistent in all respects with the formal meteorite description. This particular sample was selected because it appeared to contain a fragment of dunite.