Sheathed in a sandy desert patina from its residency in the Sahara, this palm-sized lunar sample is a combination of lunar materials fused together following repeated asteroid impacts on the Moon, opened on one face to reveal the interior that features rare basalt clasts and glass fragments. Having been blasted off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact, rocks from the Moon are among the rarest substances on Earth, and now offered is a sectional wedge of one such rock. There are less than 750 kg of lunar meteorites known to exist and a significant fraction is controlled by governmental institutions. Moon rocks are identified by specific textural, mineralogical, chemical and isotopic signatures. Many of the common minerals found on Earth’s surface are rare on the Moon and some lunar minerals are unknown on Earth. In addition, Moon rocks contain gases captured from the solar wind with isotope ratios very different from the same gases found on Earth. NWA 11273 is the 11,273rd rock recovered in the Northwest African grid of the Sahara Desert to be analyzed and classified. Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue. 79 mm x 59 mm x 19 mm (31⁄8 x 21⁄3 x 3⁄4 in.) 64g.
Sheathed in a sandy desert patina from its residency in the Sahara, this palm-sized lunar sample is a combination of lunar materials fused together following repeated asteroid impacts on the Moon, opened on one face to reveal the interior that features rare basalt clasts and glass fragments. Having been blasted off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact, rocks from the Moon are among the rarest substances on Earth, and now offered is a sectional wedge of one such rock. There are less than 750 kg of lunar meteorites known to exist and a significant fraction is controlled by governmental institutions. Moon rocks are identified by specific textural, mineralogical, chemical and isotopic signatures. Many of the common minerals found on Earth’s surface are rare on the Moon and some lunar minerals are unknown on Earth. In addition, Moon rocks contain gases captured from the solar wind with isotope ratios very different from the same gases found on Earth. NWA 11273 is the 11,273rd rock recovered in the Northwest African grid of the Sahara Desert to be analyzed and classified. Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue. 79 mm x 59 mm x 19 mm (31⁄8 x 21⁄3 x 3⁄4 in.) 64g.
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