NWA 7274 End Piece

A LUNAR METEORITE RESEMBLING APOLLO 16 SOIL SAMPLES

NWA 7274 is an aesthetic, fragmental breccia with anorthositic clasts in a dark, almost jet black matrix. In addition, NWA 7274 has what is called a moderate "KREEP" component, standing for "Potassium, Rare Earth Elements, and Phosphorus." These elements do not normally exist in the lunar crust that emerged from the Moon's magma ocean, but this KREEP element may have been trapped between the crust and the mantle, possibly erupting to the surface where it became lodged in this section of the Moon.

Lunar material is some of the rarest material to exist on our planet — only 1,536 kilograms (3,386 lb) of confirmed lunar meteorites currently exist on Earth. And, while six of the Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms (842 lb) of so-called "Moon rocks" from their combined voyages, these samples of the Moon are unavailable for private ownership. As a result, any piece of lunar material is exceedingly rare and highly sought after by both institutions and private collectors.

Until the first lunar meteorite was identified on Earth on January 17, 1982, the geologic history and surface composition of the Moon could only be studied from samples collected during the Apollo and Luna missions. Since these were exclusively harvested from the central near side of the Moon, the 1982 discovery proved to be a crucial scientific breakthrough. Thanks to the progressive retrieval on Earth of meteorite fragments originating from all areas of the Moon, invaluable and previously unattainable information about lunar geology has since become available.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for NWA 7274