NWA 17706 Lunar Meteorite Individual, Troctolitic Anorthosite Melt Breccia, 19.15g, Complete Stone from Earth's Moon

NWA 17706, a 19.15 gram complete lunar individual

This is a complete stone of Northwest Africa 17706, a meteorite from the Moon. It is whole and uncut, one of the rocks recorded for this meteorite in the Meteoritical Bulletin, and it weighs 19.15 g. The Bulletin classifies NWA 17706 as a lunar troctolitic anorthosite melt breccia: a piece of the pale highland crust of the Moon that was melted and mixed by impacts before a later impact launched it toward Earth.

Surface and features

The stone keeps its natural surface all the way around. The Bulletin describes the rocks of NWA 17706 as gray, desert varnished and lacking fusion crust, and this stone matches that description: a gray, varnished exterior, knobby and deeply pitted, with pale tan material in some of the hollows. Under close light the varnish gives parts of the surface a soft sheen. The surface is natural and has not been coated or sealed.

In thin section, the Bulletin describes a melt breccia of mineral debris and sparse troctolitic rock fragments set in a plagioclase-rich impact melt matrix that is partly devitrified. The main minerals are anorthitic plagioclase, fine-grained olivine and low-calcium pyroxene, with chromite, ilmenite and sulfides as accessory phases. Those are microscope observations; on a complete stone, what you see is the weathered exterior.

Discovery and provenance

NWA 17706 was found in Algeria in December 2024. According to the Meteoritical Bulletin, it was purchased in Tindouf from Taguati Abdelhamid, and the Bulletin records eight rocks with a combined mass of 328 g. The classification was carried out by Jose Garcia at ADARA, approved on 14 September 2025 and published in Meteoritical Bulletin 114. The type specimen is held at MUNA, and the Bulletin records the remaining mass with Brian McDonald. This complete stone is part of that remaining mass, offered by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co.

Scientific context

Lunar meteorites are pieces of the surface of the Moon, thrown off by impacts with enough speed to escape its gravity, that eventually fell to Earth. NWA 17706 samples the anorthositic highland crust, the bright terrain that covers most of the lunar surface. Its plagioclase is almost pure anorthite (An98.2), and the iron to manganese ratios of its olivine and pyroxene, recorded in the Bulletin, are among the measurements used to confirm a lunar origin. There is more on how these meteorites reach Earth in what is a lunar meteorite.

By recorded mass, NWA 17706 ranked 361st of the 830 lunar entries carrying a recorded mass in the Meteoritical Bulletin database when we compiled the largest lunar meteorites in September 2026. That ranking uses the total for the meteorite, 328 g, not the weight of this stone.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a complete stone? Yes. It is a whole, uncut individual weighing 19.15 g. The 328 g recorded in the Bulletin is the combined mass of all eight rocks.

Does it have fusion crust? No. The Bulletin records the rocks of NWA 17706 as lacking fusion crust. The exterior is a desert varnished, weathered surface.

Has the stone been coated or treated? No. The surface is natural and has not been coated or sealed.

How do we know it came from the Moon? NWA 17706 is classified as lunar in the Meteoritical Bulletin, based on thin section study and mineral chemistry. The entry can be checked directly at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.

Can I legally own a lunar meteorite? Yes. Lunar meteorites arrived on Earth naturally and are distinct from Apollo samples. See can you legally buy a moon rock.

What documentation comes with it? The specimen carries serial TC-00047, with a public specimen record listing its classification data, weight and photographs, and a certificate card bearing the serial. Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. is IMCA Member #3323.

Collector significance

A complete individual shows the whole natural form of the stone, with nothing cut away. This one comes from a meteorite recorded as only eight rocks totalling 328 g, with the remaining mass held by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. Browse the lunar meteorite collection, or read the lunar meteorite collector's guide.

Classification data from the Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Northwest Africa 17706. Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., IMCA Member #3323.