Yamato 791197
Encyclopedia
Yamato 791197, official abbreviation Y-791197, is a meteorite
that was found in Antarctica on November 20, 1979.
It is the first rock to be found on Earth identified as a lunar meteorite
(see also ALH 81005). It was collected by National Institute of Polar Research, Japan
.
breccia
believed to have come from the lunar highlands on the far side of the Moon
.
It is classified as lunar-anorthositic breccia, a lunar meteorite that is primarily anorthositic.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
that was found in Antarctica on November 20, 1979.
It is the first rock to be found on Earth identified as a lunar meteorite
Lunar meteorite
A Lunar meteorite is a meteorite that is known to have originated on the Moon.-Discovery:In January 1982, John Schutt, leading an expedition in Antarctica for the ANSMET program, found a meteorite that he recognized to be unusual...
(see also ALH 81005). It was collected by National Institute of Polar Research, Japan
National Institute of Polar Research (Japan)
is the Japanese research institute for Antarctica. The agency manages several research bases on the continent:-Research Centers in the NIPR:The NIPR has several research centers on Antarctica topics. Among others there are meteorological, geological, glacier motion, life science, ice dynamics,...
.
Classification and charateristics
Weighing 52.4 grams, it is a weakly shocked feldspathic regolithRegolith
Regolith is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. It includes dust, soil, broken rock, and other related materials and is present on Earth, the Moon, some asteroids, and other terrestrial planets and moons.-Etymology:...
breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
believed to have come from the lunar highlands on the far side of the Moon
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
.
It is classified as lunar-anorthositic breccia, a lunar meteorite that is primarily anorthositic.