NWA 8641 Lunar Meteorite: Large Piece of the Moon...
NWA 8641 Lunar Meteorite: Large Piece of the Moon Lunar (feldspathic breccia) Sahara Desert, Morocco Found: 2014 {p}{a id="video1" name="video1"}{/a}{div class="aspect-ratio wide-screen mar10"}{iframe id="player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1" title="YouTube video player" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Y431dQv0k1k?wmode=transparent&html5=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" name="video1"}{/iframe}{br}{br}{/div}{/p} Weighing 6.4 pounds (2.9 kilograms) and extremely fresh, this is a matchless end piece of a lunar meteorite-a piece of the Moon ejected off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact, which landed on Earth. Numerous lunar samples returned to Earth by Apollo astronauts are extremely similar to the specimen now offered but, of course, are deemed the property of the United States Government and controlled by NASA at the Johnson Center and at the Smithsonian Institution. Less than 0.5% of all meteorites recovered are lunar in origin, and less than 750 pounds (340 kilograms) of lunar material exists on the earth in the form of meteorites. The Moon is among the most exotic substances on Earth. Lunar specimens are identifiable by specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures, and many of the common minerals found on Earth are rare on the Moon. Minerals comprising the Moon's crust are limited and are easily identified. NWA 8641 is one of the larger lunar meteorites on record and the 8641st meteorite to be recovered in Northwest Africa and classified. This meteorite is recorded in the Meteoritical Bulletin, and this end piece is part of it. This end piece is a superior representation of a lunar breccia-a rock composed of different fragments of rocks and minerals cemented together by interstitial impact melt. It is extremely fresh and not "weathered" and so has not been "terrestrialized" as a result of exposure to the Earth's elements. This specimen exhibits the sought-after deep contrast between the ground mass and white anorthosite - the oldest rocks on the Moon. This is an important offering of the Moon in the form of a superlative end cut lunar meteorite. Overall Measurements: 7.5 x 6.75 x 2 inches (19.05 x 17.14 x 5.08 cm), weighs 2,927.9 grams (6.4 pounds) [360 degree video]
HID09710052018
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NWA 8641 Lunar Meteorite: Large Piece of the Moon Lunar (feldspathic breccia) Sahara Desert, Morocco Found: 2014 {p}{a id="video1" name="video1"}{/a}{div class="aspect-ratio wide-screen mar10"}{iframe id="player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1" title="YouTube video player" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Y431dQv0k1k?wmode=transparent&html5=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" name="video1"}{/iframe}{br}{br}{/div}{/p} Weighing 6.4 pounds (2.9 kilograms) and extremely fresh, this is a matchless end piece of a lunar meteorite-a piece of the Moon ejected off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact, which landed on Earth. Numerous lunar samples returned to Earth by Apollo astronauts are extremely similar to the specimen now offered but, of course, are deemed the property of the United States Government and controlled by NASA at the Johnson Center and at the Smithsonian Institution. Less than 0.5% of all meteorites recovered are lunar in origin, and less than 750 pounds (340 kilograms) of lunar material exists on the earth in the form of meteorites. The Moon is among the most exotic substances on Earth. Lunar specimens are identifiable by specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures, and many of the common minerals found on Earth are rare on the Moon. Minerals comprising the Moon's crust are limited and are easily identified. NWA 8641 is one of the larger lunar meteorites on record and the 8641st meteorite to be recovered in Northwest Africa and classified. This meteorite is recorded in the Meteoritical Bulletin, and this end piece is part of it. This end piece is a superior representation of a lunar breccia-a rock composed of different fragments of rocks and minerals cemented together by interstitial impact melt. It is extremely fresh and not "weathered" and so has not been "terrestrialized" as a result of exposure to the Earth's elements. This specimen exhibits the sought-after deep contrast between the ground mass and white anorthosite - the oldest rocks on the Moon. This is an important offering of the Moon in the form of a superlative end cut lunar meteorite. Overall Measurements: 7.5 x 6.75 x 2 inches (19.05 x 17.14 x 5.08 cm), weighs 2,927.9 grams (6.4 pounds) [360 degree video]
HID09710052018
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
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