Fact sheet
74235 is a type 1a (high-Ti) basalt containing very large (3 cm) vesicles. Thin blades of ilmenite and skeletal phenocrysts of olivine and pyroxene are scattered throughout a matrix of glass and feathery minerals (rotation 2). Some phenocrysts of olivine host melt inclusions (rotation 1). The sample represents a rapidly quenched volcanic liquid.
The sample weighed 59 grams before analysis and has not been dated.
Further details of this and other Apollo samples are here: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/
Note our thin section is slightly thinner than normal.
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.