Press Release

Dhofar 081 Lunar meteorite found in Oman.

By SpaceRef Editor
August 17, 2000
Filed under

THE METEORITICAL BULLETIN

Announcement 85-1, August 7, 2000

Jeffrey N. Grossman, Editor (jgrossman@usgs.gov)
 

Dhofar 081 Lunar meteorite found in Oman.
 

The preliminary text of the 2001 Meteoritical Bulletin may by viewed at:
 
    http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/metsoc/metbull/mb85.pdf
 
All information in this e-mail and on the above-cited Meteoritical Bulletin webpage is subject to revision until final publication in the summer of 2001.
 

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Dhofar 081 19°19.32’N  54°46.96’E
Oman

Found 1999 November 29

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic fragmental breccia)
A brownish gray stone of 174 g covered by fusion crust was found in the Dhofar region of Oman. Classification and description (A.
Greshake, MNB):  a feldspathic fragmental breccia consisting of clasts of various lithologies embedded into a devitrified fine-
grained matrix; schlieren and vesicles are abundant; feldspar, An96.5- 99.5; pyroxene, Fs21.9-46.2 Wo3.0-41.4; olivine, Fa29.3-47.8; augites are more abundant than Ca-poor pyroxenes and often contain pigeonite exsolution lamellae; accessory phases are Fe-Ni metal, ilmenite, and Ti-Cr-rich spinel; crystalline fragments include large gabbroic anorthosites, high-Al highland basalts, microporphyritic impact melt breccias, dark fine-grained impact melt breccias, and large
cataclastic feldspar; no regolith components, e.g., glass spherules, have been identified; low bulk concentrations of MgO and FeO reflect low abundance of mafic components. Specimens:19.8 g plus two thin sections, MNB; ~20 g, M¸n; main mass with anonymous finder.

SpaceRef staff editor.