Wandering Star Meteorites



Northwest Africa 4734

NWA 4734
Classification:
Lunar (Achondrite)
Found: 2006
Location: Morocco
TKW: 1372 grams

History:
Two pieces of the meteorite were purchased from nomads in Erfoud, Morocco in October 2006 and February 2007.

Physical characteristics:
A. Habibi purchased two pieces with a total mass of 477 g in Rissani, Morocco; several other pieces of the same stone totaling 895 g are with Ait Elkaid in Rissani, Morocco.

Dull black/brown fusion crust is nearly complete and inside slightly tarnished where absent. It is a gray, coarse-grained, pristine magmatic rock consisting of millimeter-sized phenocrysts of mainly pyroxene and plagioclase.

Petrography:
(A. Jambon, O. Boudouma, and D. Badia, UPVI). The texture is best described as shergottite-like. Pyroxene grains are highly fractured while plagioclase laths, partly transformed to maskelynite, are only affected by a small number of fractures. Silica and silica-feldspar glass are minor components.

A few patches of impact melt are also observed. Ilmenite, baddeleyite, zirconolite, tranquilityite, pyrrhotite, and metal. Fayalite associated with silica probably results from the dissociation of iron rich pyroxene.

Modal mineralogy (vol%): Cpx 50, plagioclase + K-feldspar 32, silica + glass 7.5, opaques (ilmenite, Ti-magnetite, pyrrhotite) + fayalite 7, voids + fractures 3.

Geochemistry:
Mineralogy by EMP and SEM. (Trace and major element analyses ICP-MS and ICP-AES, J.-A. Barrat, UBO). Pyroxene grains are complexly zoned (En65Fs21Wo13 to En2Fs83Wo15; FeO/MnO = 78 [average]).

A few compositions correspond to pyroxferroite. Plagioclase is normally zoned from An75-91 (average An89) with minor olivine (Fa80-95). Chondrite normalized REE pattern with an enrichment of 53 (La) to 40 (Yb).

Trace element pattern with negative anomalies of Sr and Eu. Interstitial glass is high in silica (75 wt%) and contains microcrysts of K-feldspar with a significant celsian component. The chemistry and major and trace elements are identical to NWA 029, 479, 773 as well as LAP samples 02205, 02224, 02226, 02436 and 03632.

The texture is very similar to that of the LAP specimens. The very low abundance of olivine and the relative abundance of silica in NWA 4734 are the main differences beside the grain size and the slightly different composition of the major phases.

Classification:
Achondrite (lunar); extensive shock.

Type specimens:
A total of 20 g of sample and one polished section is on deposit at UPVI. Mbarek Ait Elkaid holds the main masses.

Submitted by:
A. Jambon, UPVI.




Several very nice samples of this outstanding Lunar Meteorite are currently available for sale.
The asking price is well below normal market value of rare meteorites such as this one.


4.0 gram slice w/ fusion crust - $4,400.00          Item# 4734-493 

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NWA 4734 .271 gram fragment - $300.00           Item# 4734-027

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.122 gram fragment - $150.00                               Item# 4734-012

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.075 gram fragment - $90.00                            Item# 4734-0075

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.021 gram fragment - $40.00                             Item# 4734-0021

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NWA 4734 Lunar Display Cases

I am happy to offer some very nice looking Lunar display cases with samples of the very rare NWA 4734 Lunar meteorite.
These are very attractive and make an affordable way to own an actual piece of a Lunar Meteorite.

Examples of what is available (photographs may not be of exact item you will receive. Please ask for pictures of actual item)

NWA 4734 Lunar Dispay with large fragment - $25.00    Item# LD-1


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NWA 4734 Lunar Dispay with small fragments - $25.00    Item# LD-2

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NWA 4734 Lunar Dispay with small fragment - $15.00    Item# LD-3


 



 





 


 



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