78598 (5) Vitrophyric Ilmenite Basalt
Collection:
Apollo 17
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thin section for this sample.
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MicroscopeFact sheet
78598 (5) Vitrophyric Ilmenite Basalt
Although 78598 is a high-Ti basalt, it has lower Ti than most others and is somewhat like basalts from Apollo 11. It is a dense, light grey rock with a few large vugs. 78598 has a very interesting texture (rotations 1 & 2). Ilmenite and Ca-rich pyroxene form a fine net in a glassy matrix. The sample weighed 224 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.