Fact sheet
75035 along with 75015 and 75055 from the same location, is slightly more aluminous and less titanium rich, than other Apollo 17 basalts, and is surprisingly similar to some of the Apollo 11 basalts. It is a medium-grained sub-ophitic high-Ti basalt. Suhedral laths of plagioclase are surrounded by clumps of anhedral pyroxene. Large laths of ilmenite penetrate the plagioclase and pyroxene, providing evidence that ilmenite was the first phase to crystallize from the melt. Accessory species include tridymite (rotation 1), cristobalite, tranquillityite, baddeleyite, zirconolite, ulvöspinel, troilite and metallic iron. Note our thin section is slightly thick.
The sample weighed 1235 grams before analysis and has been dated at 3.76±0.05 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.