Fact sheet
73235 has a fine-grained aphanitic matrix and is trace-element-enriched, with a bulk composition similar to that of 73215 and 73217. It has a dense, aphanitic melt groundmass with seriate clast distribution. The groundmass consists mainly of plagioclase, pyroxene, opaque minerals and rare pink pleonaste spinel. Zircon is also reported in a unique clast from this sample (in section 82). Lithic clasts include granoblastic feldspathic impactites with a variety of grain sizes, shocked anorthosites, and cataclasized troctolites and norites. Many lithic clasts are strung out as schlieren within the dense matrix. Rotation 1 shows what is thought to be a recrystallised plagioclase clast. Rotation 2 focuses on a region of clast-laden melt.
The sample weighed 878.3 grams before analysis and has been dated at 3.96 ± 0.04 billion years (Ar/Ar).
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.