Fifth Largest Piece Of Moon For Sale At $2.5 Million
HYDERABAD: The moon rock weighing over 13.5 kg goes on a private sale at Christie's on Thursday. It is one of the world's largest lunar meteorites and is valued at 2 million pounds (2.49 million dollars).
It is known as NWA 12691 and thought to be the fifth largest piece of the moon ever found on earth. The moon rock was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with an asteroid or comet and then showered down on the Sahara desert.
James Hyslop, Christie's head of science and natural history said, "The experience of holding a piece of another world in your hands is something you never forget. It is an actual piece of the moon. It is about the size of a football, a bit more oblong than that, larger than your head."
An anonymous finder found this piece on Sahara and later changed hands. Hyslop explained that in the 1960s and 1970s the Apollo programme brought back about 400 kilograms of moon rock with them and scientists have been able to analyse the chemical and isotopic compositions of those rocks and they have determined that they match certain meteorites.
He further added that they are expecting an immense international interest in it from natural history museums and it is a wonderful trophy for anyone who is interested in space history or lunar exploration. (Inputs from agencies)
