Fact sheet
78255 was chipped from the bottom of the Station 8 boulder (78235) which is also described as shocked norite.
Our thin section consists of shocked pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar with a distinct glassy exterior. The glass is banded and folded.
The sample weighed 48.31 grams before analysis and has not been dated, although an age of 4.11±0.02 billion years (Ar/Ar) is reported for 78235.
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.