Completing the display of meteorites, a new showcase is dedicated to lunar meteorites, with a spectacular slice of the Lunar meteorite NWA 11472 given by Luc Labenne (Labenne meteorite), as well as a fragment to touch from the lunar meteorite NWA 10782 given by Alain Carion.
This feldspathic breccia from the Moon was found in the Sahara desert by a nomad in 2017. It was later purchased by Luc Labenne, who sliced it to reveal the brecciated interior, and who gave a spectactular slice for the new display at the Mineralogy Museum in November 2017.
The NWA 11472 Moon meteorite is composed of a dark matrix and clasts of white anorthite and green olivine and pyroxene.
This regolith breccia was found in the region of Almabas near the frontier between Morocco and Algeria in 2015. It was purchased by Luc Labenne who recognized it was a lunar meteorite.
Some feldspathic and pyroxene clasts are visible in the dark glass basaltic matrix. Interestingly, the feldspathic igneous clasts have a texture resembling the one seen on the Apollo 14310 Lunar rock, only finer. Also, it has characteristic Fe/Mn ratios for its olivine and pyroxene crystals matching the ones of lunar samples.
This great sample that the visitors will be able to touch was given by meteorite hunter Alain Carion.
A short bio of the donors are given at the bottom of the Martian meteorite page.
Any questions about the museum or the collection ? Contact us
Find all the information to come to the Mineralogy Museum here
Musée de Minéralogie
Mines Paris - PSL
60 boulevard Saint Michel
75006 Paris
OPENING HOURS:
TUESDAY: 10am - 12pm and 1:30pm - 6pm.
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY: 1:30pm - 6pm
SATURDAY: 10am - 12:30pm and 2pm - 5pm
Closed on National Holidays, Sundays and Mondays
Find all our temporary exhibits and special events here
