Fact sheet
70155 is a medium grey, subangular basalt, containing miarolitic cavities that was collected from a basaltic boulder named the "Geophone Rock". It has a plagioclase-poikilitic texture, with interstitial, blocky, and anhedral ilmenite set in pyroxene and plagioclase. Plagioclase also contains pyroxene, olivine and armalcolite inclusions. Ilmenite exhibits both rutile and spinel exsolution lamellae and rare, discrete spinel occurs, usually in pyroxene. Interstitial phases present are silica, metallic iron and troilite. 70155 contains olivine which is usually unzoned. Plagioclase is moderately zoned, and also exhibits inter-grain variations. Pyroxene compositions range from titanaugite to pigeonite, with pigeonite crystallizing only after significant olivine resorption. Rotation 1 shows twinning in pyroxene.
The sample weighed 0.77 grams before analysis and has not been dated.
Further details of this and other Apollo samples are here: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/
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.