79516 (4) Vitrophyric Ilmenite Basalt
Collection:
Apollo 17
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MicroscopeFact sheet
79516 (4) Vitrophyric Ilmenite Basalt
79516 is a small basalt sample collected by raking. The texture is sub-ophitic to ophitic. However, it has a quench texture with olivine (rotation 1) and ilmenite-armalcolite phenocrysts set in a very fine-grained groundmass of pink pyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite and opaque glass. The sample weighed 23.9 grams before analysis and has not been dated. Further details of this and other Apollo samples are here: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/ |
About this collection
Apollo 17, the final manned landing mission, had two objectives: to obtain samples of ancient rocks from the lunar highlands and to look for evidence of younger volcanic activity on the valley floor.
This small Collection contains material deriving from both periods, including igneous rocks around 4.3 billion years old from the lunar highlands as well as younger volcanic samples dating from about 3.6 billion years ago.
Apollo 17 was launched on 7 December 1972.