Lunar Mineral Found at Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey

摘要

The mineral pyroxferroite, [(Fe~(2+),Mn~(2+),Ca)SiO_3], first described from the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon, has recently been confirmed from Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey. Samples of pyroxferroite were originally collected within Apollo XI mission rocks, and the mineral was described as a new species in 1970. Recent work on pyroxmangite [Mn~(2+)SiO_3] and related species found at Franklin, New Jersey, unequivocally confirms the presence of the iron-analogue at the locality, bringing the total number of species found there to an astounding 361 as of this writing! Ironically, the discovery of pyroxferroite at Franklin is not the first U.S. locality for the species, and it has also been confirmed from several other foreign localities as well. So while the Franklin discovery is not a unique, terrestrial occurrence, it is worthy of significant mention due to the on-going interest in Franklin mineralogy.