Laayoune 002 Lunar Meteorite Individual, Feldspathic Breccia, 193.73g, Complete Moon Rock

A complete Laâyoune 002 lunar individual

This is a complete individual of Laâyoune 002, a lunar meteorite classified as a feldspathic breccia and recovered from Western Sahara in 2022. The stone weighs 193.73 grams and retains its full natural exterior, an uncut mass of ancient lunar highland crust that traveled from the Moon to Earth in one piece. Feldspathic breccias originate from the pale, heavily cratered highlands that cover most of the lunar surface and preserve some of the oldest crustal material in the solar system.

At 193.73 grams this is a substantial individual by the standards of this classified lunar find. The stone holds its three-dimensional form, allowing the brecciated structure to be read across the whole exterior rather than on a single cut face. It sits solidly in the hand and shows the gray coloration with lighter clasts that is characteristic of highland-derived lunar material.

Structure and features

Laâyoune 002 is classified as a feldspathic breccia, a rock built predominantly from plagioclase feldspar fragments bound together by impact processes. Across the exterior of this individual, angular clasts of varying size and tone are set into a finer grained matrix, the clast-in-matrix texture that forms when meteoroid impacts shatter and reassemble crustal material on the lunar surface. The pale clasts reflect the high feldspar content typical of highland material, in contrast to the iron-rich basalts that form the dark lunar maria.

The overall color runs gray with lighter areas distributed through the surface. As a desert find, the exterior carries the natural weathering of its time in Western Sahara. The surface texture varies across the stone, and the uncut form lets a collector examine the breccia from every side.

Discovery and provenance

Laâyoune 002 was found in January 2022 near Laayoune, in the Saguia el Hamra region of Western Sahara, and was purchased from the finder by Aziz Habibi. The recovered material lacks fusion crust and shows a gray color with whitish clasts visible throughout. The meteorite was classified by A. Irving and P. Carpenter and published in the Meteoritical Bulletin, MB 111 (2023). The type specimen, a 20.7 gram polished endcut, is held in an institutional collection, with the main mass retained by A. Habibi.

Scientific context

Feldspathic breccias come from the lunar highlands, the light colored anorthositic crust that covers most of the Moon's far side and much of its surface. The Meteoritical Bulletin entry describes Laâyoune 002 as a breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, orthopyroxene, pigeonite and augite, with accessory ilmenite and chromite and minor secondary barite. The plagioclase is highly calcic, with anorthite content measured at An96.1 to An97.7, the composition expected of feldspar from the lunar highland crust. Lunar feldspathic breccias of this kind are compositional analogs to the highland material returned by the Apollo missions, which is part of how a lunar origin is established.

Frequently asked questions

How is a meteorite confirmed to be lunar?
Lunar meteorites are identified through mineral chemistry, petrography and isotopic study, then reviewed and published by the Meteoritical Society. Laâyoune 002 was classified by A. Irving and P. Carpenter and entered into the Meteoritical Bulletin database as a lunar feldspathic breccia. The highly calcic anorthite and the overall feldspathic composition match material from the lunar highlands.

What is a complete individual?
A complete individual is a meteorite that retains its full form as recovered, without cutting or slicing. This 193.73 gram stone preserves its natural exterior and three-dimensional structure, allowing it to be studied and displayed as a whole object rather than a cut section of a larger mass.

Why is the name spelled with a circumflex?
The official Meteoritical Bulletin name is Laâyoune 002, with a circumflex over the first a. Plain spellings such as Laayoune 002 refer to the same officially named meteorite.

How should the specimen be stored and handled?
Handle with clean gloves and keep it in a dry environment. As a desert find it is best kept away from humidity to protect the surface over the long term.

How do I verify this is the same specimen shown in these photographs?
This stone is recorded under serial TC-00010. Its specimen record is a permanent page holding the classification data as published in the Meteoritical Bulletin, the recorded weight, and photographs of this exact stone. Meteorite surfaces, cut faces and clast patterns are individual to each stone, so a specimen in hand can be compared against those photographs and weighed against the recorded figure.

Collector significance

Lunar meteorites account for a small portion of all classified meteorites, and feldspathic breccias represent the Moon's primary crust rather than its volcanic plains. For how privately recovered lunar meteorites differ from restricted Apollo material, see can you legally buy a moon rock. Most Laâyoune 002 material reaching the market has been cut into slices and end cuts, so a complete uncut individual is a different kind of specimen. An uncut 193.73 gram stone preserves the full brecciated exterior and offers a collector the specimen as a discrete object, examinable from every side. This specimen is part of the premium specimens offered by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., IMCA Member #3323.

Classification and provenance for this specimen follow the official Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Laâyoune 002, viewable at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.

Specimen record

This specimen is serialized as TC-00010 and is issued with a certificate card bearing that serial. The serial indexes a permanent public record maintained by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., and every issued serial is listed in the Specimen Registry.