Moon Meteorite Adrar 013 – Lunar Gabbro, 4.7 g

The Adrar 013 Moon Meteorite is a rare, officially classified lunar melt breccia with a gabbroic composition. The offered specimen weighs 4.7 g. It was recovered in 2023 in the Adrar region of Algeria (27°07′48.70″ N, 01°02′01.43″ E). The total known mass of Adrar 013 is approximately 3.15 kg, making this specimen a documented fragment of a comparatively limited lunar find.

Adrar 013 is registered in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database as a lunar meteorite and classified as an impact melt breccia derived from the Moon’s crust. Its mineral chemistry and diagnostic shock features confirm its extraterrestrial origin and lunar provenance.

Features

• Name: Adrar 013 Lunar Meteorite
• Type: Melt breccia (gabbroic)
• Classification: Achondrite (lunar)
• Dimensions: approx. 25 × 15 × 12 mm
• Weight: 4.7 g
• Origin: Moon
• Found: Adrar, Algeria (2023)
• Condition: Intact fragment; natural impact-melt textures preserved
• Discovery Date: 2023
• Certification: Included, issued by an IMCA member

Scientific and Physical Characteristics

Adrar 013 is petrographically classified as a lunar impact melt breccia with anorthositic noritic to gabbroic composition. The rock formed as a result of high-energy impact processes on the lunar surface, during which pre-existing crustal materials were fragmented, partially melted, and rapidly quenched.

The meteorite consists of angular clasts embedded within a fine-grained impact-melt matrix. Flow and quench textures are visible, reflecting rapid cooling following shock-induced melting.

Mineralogically, the dominant phases include:

• Plagioclase feldspar with very high anorthite content (~An96)

• Low- and high-calcium pyroxenes, including pigeonite and zoned Ca-rich varieties

• Olivine with moderate fayalite content (~Fa24)

• Accessory phases such as ilmenite, chromite, and troilite

The extremely calcic plagioclase composition is characteristic of the lunar highland crust, while the mafic gabbroic components indicate crystallization from basaltic magmatic material within the Moon’s crust.

As a lunar meteorite ejected from the Moon by a major impact event and later delivered to Earth, Adrar 013 provides direct material evidence of lunar crustal evolution beyond the limited Apollo and Luna landing sites. Even small specimens such as this 4.7 g fragment represent scientifically significant extraterrestrial material.