Northwest Africa 16888 (NWA 16888)
Place of discovery: Algeria
Purchased: 2024 January
Classification: Lunar meteorite (melt breccia, anorthositic norite/gabbro). Possibly paired with Adrar 013.
History: Found in the Adrar region of Algeria. Bought from a Moroccan dealer by Isabelle Pothier in January 2024.
Physical characteristics: Five stones without fusion crust. Cut surface reveals a brecciated interior with gray clasts set in a darker matrix.
Petrography: (J. Gattacceca, CEREGE) Brecciated igneous rock with mineral clast to several mm set in a melt rock matrix. Main minerals are pyroxene and olivine. Accessory minerals are ilmenite, chromite, and rare µm-sized metal and troilite grains. Metal and troilite are often associated as composite grains.
Specimens: Type specimen at CEREGE. Main mass with Isabelle Pothier.
