Abstract

Meteorite ALHA 81005, a glassy regolith breccia, is beyond any reasonable doubt of lunar origin, according to its petrographic, chemical, and isotopic characteristics. The sample was shocked at most to 15 GPa during ejection and supports the possibility of some meteorites being of Martian origin. Most lithic fragments are feldspathic granulitic impactites, cataclastic anorthosites, and impact melts, all typical lunar lithologies. Mineral fragments are derived from plutonic troctolitic and noritic rocks, varied mare basalt‐like extrusive rocks, and the identified lithic fragment types. Neither petrographically nor chemically are there significant components in ALHA 81005 which were previously unknown. A mare basalt component restricts the origin of the sample: with remotely‐sensed data, which eliminates most frontside, as well as farside groundtrack regions, it makes the probability of ejection from Giordano Bruno, near the Moon's NE limb, far greater than from any other lunar crater.

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