Category
page 1Minerals described in 1970

pyroxferroite
Pyroxferroite (Fe2+,Ca)SiO3 is a single chain inosilicate. It is mostly composed of iron, silicon and oxygen, with smaller fractions of calcium and several other metals. Together with armalcolite and tranquillityite, it is one of the three minerals which were discovered on the Moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. It was then found in Lunar and Martian meteorites as well as a mineral in the Earth's crust. Pyroxferroite can also be produced by annealing synthetic clinopyroxene at high pressures and temperatures. The mineral is metastable and gradually decomposes at ambient conditions, but thi
oosterboschite
Oosterboschite is a rare selenide mineral with the formula . It crystallises in the orthorhombic crystal system. It has a creamy yellow colour and a Moh's hardness of 5. It is often found as grains with no clear shape. The crystals are opaque and often no bigger than 0.4 mm.