Fact sheet
76275 is a vesicular clast-bearing impact melt breccia. The matrix has a poikilitic texture with a matrix of interlocking low-Ca pyroxene oikocrysts that surround abundant clasts and laths of plagioclase, olivine and augite. Sieve-like ilmenite is found between pyroxene oikocrysts. An irregular olivine clast and a maskelynised plagioclase feldspar clast are shown in rotation 1. Rotation 2 shows a collection of smaller mineral and lithic clasts.
The sample weighed 55.9 grams before analysis and has been dated at 4.02±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.