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Lunar Meteorite: Dar al Gani 262, 996, 1042, and 1048 (paired stones)Libya |
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Small slabs of DaG 262 (upper left), DaG 996 (upper right), and DaG 1042 (lower left). Tick marks on scale are spaced at 1 mm increments. The DaG 996 sample has veins filled with terrestrial alteration minerals. Click on image for enlargement. (Photos by Ryan Zeigler and Randy Korotev) |
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Photo of a 1.54-gram sample of Dar al Gani 262 (courtesy http://fernlea.tripod.com/collect1.html) |
from The
Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 81, Meteoritics & Planetary Science
32, A159-A166 (1997)
Dar al Gani 26227°11.02'N 16°18.02'EAl Juhfra, Libya Found 1997 March 23 Lunar (anorthositic breccia) A single 513 g stone was found in the Sahara. Classification and description (A. Bischoff and D. Weber, Mün): contains clasts up to 1 cm, mainly anorthositic lithologies and crystalline impact melt breccias, and glass fragments and spherules (partially devitrified) imbedded in a fine-grained, well-consolidated matrix; bulk plagioclase: An>95; olivine, Fa20-71; low-Ca pyroxene, Fs26-63; has shock veins; contains metal particles (5-26 wt% Ni), ilmenite, troilite, Ti-Cr-spinel; meteorite is moderately weathered. See Bischoff and Weber (1997) for additional information. Specimens: type specimen several grams plus two thin secctions, Mün; main mass with finder. |
from The
Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 87, Meteoritics & Planetary Science
38, A189-A248 (2003)
Dar al Gani 996LibyaFound 1999 May 14 Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia) Single stone of 12.31 g found by an anonymous finder in the sand desert of Dar al Gani. Classification and mineralogy (A. Greshake, MNB; M. Kurz, Kurz): a fragmental breccia with lithic and mineral fragments set into a fine-grained clastic matrix; the clast size is generally =1 mm; mafic clasts are by far more abundant than feldspathic clasts; schlieren and vesicles are rare. Plagioclase composition, An96.7 (range An94.3-98.3); pigeonite, Fs19.7-51.3Wo5.5-14.1; augite, Fs24.7-38.7Wo24.7-41.7; most Ca-pyroxenes contain pigeonite exsolution lamellae; olivine, Fa30.5 (range Fa14.2-43.2). Orthopyroxene, Fe,Ni metal, ilmenite, Mg-Al-chromite, and troilite are present as minor phases; crystalline fragments include intersertal impact melt rocks, dark fine-grained and microporphyritic impact melt clasts, olivine, pyroxene and cataclastic feldspar; no regolith component, i.e. glass spherules was found; very strong mosaicism of plagioclase, as well as abundant melt veins and melt pockets attest a high degree of shock; the meteorite is moderately weathered; calcite occurs in cracks. Specimens: main mass with anonymous finder; type specimen, 2.5 g, plus one polished thin section, MNB. |
from The
Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 91, Meteoritics & Planetary Science
42, 413-466 (2007)
Dar al Gani 1042Dar al Gani region, Al Jufrah, LibyaFound 1999 Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic regolith breccia) History and physical characteristics: A single stone of 801 g with partial fusion crust was found in 1999. Petrography and mineral compositions: (T. Arai, NIPR) Feldspathic regolith breccia with typical lunar highland breccia clasts (e.g., feldspathic crystalline melt breccias, granulitic lithologies, cataclastic anorthosites, etc.) embedded in a well-lithified matrix. Granulitic clasts consist of dominant plagioclase (An95.4–96.7) with orthopyroxene (Wo3Fs19En78, Fe# = 0.19), clinopyroxene (Wo8–12Fs26–28 En62–64, Fe# = 0.28–0.30; Wo44Fs9En47, Fe# = 0.15–0.16), olivine (Fo65–69,81–84), ilmenite, and Ti-rich chromite (Chr45Hc19Usp36). Isolated mineral fragments are plagioclase, co-existing augite and pigeonite, and olivine with ranges of compositions similar to those in the above clasts. Anorthositic impact glasses occur both as glass veins and spherules. The FeO/MnO value of olivines (90 ± 20) supports a lunar origin. Terrestrial calcites pervasively occur along cracks. Classification: Achondrite (lunar feldspathic regolith breccia); moderate weathering. Type specimen: One specimen of 37 g is on deposit at JAXA. One 6.1 g sample and thin sections are on deposit at NIPR. An anonymous finder holds the main mass. |
from The
Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 92, draft
Dar al Gani 104827º12.10'N, 16º18.67'ELibya Found 2001 Jul 28 Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia) History and physical characteristics: A tiny complete individual stone was reovered by an anonymous hunter in June 2001 and purchased by N. Classen in 2003 in Vienna, Austria. Physical characteristics: A single 0.801 g medium grey stone with some diffuse whitish clasts. About 70% of the stone is covered by fusion crust. Petrography and mineral compositions: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Predominantly, very fine-grained mineral debris with some larger lithic clasts (up to 0.3 mm) and vesicular glassy matrix and veins. Minerals identified include pyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, ilmenite, kamacite and troilite.Lithic clasts include gabbro (composed of plagioclase and pigeonite) and very fine grained, ophitic-textured basalt (composed of plagioclase and olivine with accessory orthopyroxene, troilite, metal and rutile). Several glassy spheres were found. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa19.6-49.6, FeO/MnO = 93-98), pigeonite (Fs20.2-61.9Wo5.3-7.2, FeO/MnO = 54.8-66.5), plagioclase (An97-98Or0). Classification: Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia). This stone likely is paired with Dar al Gani 262 and Dar al Gani 996. Type specimen: A total of 0.33 g of sample is on deposit at UWS. Classen holds the main mass. |
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