Lunar meteorites are celestial wanderers originating from the Moon's surface. Unlike Earth rocks, they bear unique isotopic signatures, unveiling mysteries of the Moon's composition. These extraterrestrial gems provide an exciting bridge to lunar exploration, offering scientists glimpses into lunar geology without the need for a manned mission. For collectors, owning a piece of the Moon becomes a tangible connection to our celestial neighbor, making lunar meteorites prized artifacts that traverse the vastness of space to land in the hands of enthusiasts on Earth.
AN INTRODUCTION TO LUNAR METEORITES
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Lunar meteorites or Lunaites, are fragments that were ejected from the moon by impact of an asteroidal meteoroid or a comet. Due to the gravitational field of the earth and the sun, it could take these meteorites a few years to thousands of years to fall onto earth’s surface.
The lunar origin is established by comparing the mineralogy, the chemical composition, and the isotopic composition between these meteorites, and samples collected by the Apollo missions or measurements done through various NASA missions.
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Less than 1% of all meteorites discovered are of lunar origin. These rare samples allow us to learn a lot about Moon and Earth’s earliest formation.
It is scientific consensus that the earth and the moon formed when Earth collided with a small protoplanet named Theia about 4.5 billion years ago. The remaining debris from this impact collected in an orbit around the Earth where it finally formed into the Moon we look up at today.
INTERESTING FACTS
Lunar meteorites often contain tiny glass beads known as "agglutinates." These beads are formed during impact events on the Moon when high-velocity micrometeoroids collide with the lunar surface, melting and fusing lunar soil particles. The resulting agglutinates are preserved in lunar meteorites found on Earth, offering scientists valuable insights into the history of lunar impacts and the dynamic processes shaping the Moon's surface over billions of years.
Classification: polymict breccia
Weight: 3530gr
Age: 3 billion years old
Origin: North West Africa
Type: lunar meteorite
Classification: polymict breccia
Weight: 3530gr
Age: 3 billion years old
Origin: North West Africa
Type: lunar meteorite
LUNAR METEORITE
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