Lunar meteorite, feldspathic breccia. Northwest Africa, found 2017. Laboratory-prepared part slice. Weighing 5.6 grams and measuring 39 mm x 36 mm x 2 mm. Polished part slice showing the desirable high-contrast brecciation for which NWA 11303 is known and admired.
NWA 11303 is one the most visually appealing lunar meteorites available to collectors, and the favorite of our resident meteorite expert, Geoffrey Notkin. It was found in 2017 and classified by meteorite scientists A. Irving and S. Kuehner at the Department of Earth at Space Sciences at UWS. Laboratory-polished slices reveal a kaleidoscope of clasts of varying sizes and colors, clearly demonstrating the multi-faceted composition of this lunar breccia. As noted above, it is expected to see little or no iron and lunar meteorites, but NWA 11303 contains visible metallic inclusions. This extraterrestrial nickel-iron was likely brought to the Moon on board large asteroid fragments, suggesting NWA 11303 is a composite of indigenous lunar material combined with meteorite fragments that could have originated hundreds of millions of miles away. The laboratory noted the extreme hardness of this rock, which lent itself to an exceptional polish. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Aerolite Meteorites.
