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Lot 1132
Dar al Gani 400—An Authenticated Partial Slice of the Moon
27 May 2010, 13:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$1,342 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistDar al Gani 400—An Authenticated Partial Slice of the Moon
Lunar meteorite (anorthositic breccia)
The Sahara Desert / Libya
When 18th Century scientists first accepted the notion that meteorites came from outer space, they believed all meteorites were blasted off the Moon by powerful volcanic eruptions. They could not have been more wrong. Samples of the Moon, and in particular, lunar meteorites, are among the rarest naturally occurring substances on Earth and collectively weigh less than 0.0001% of all known meteorites. Lunar specimens are identified by specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures, and the scientific abstract describing such details of the current offering accompanies this lot. The most common minerals found on Earth's surface are not found on the Moon; the minerals comprising the Moon's crust are limited and readily identifiable. In addition, lunar rocks contain gases originating from the solar wind with isotope ratios that are very different than the same gases found on Earth. Suspected lunar meteorites are also matched against lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo missions. The appearance of DAG 400 is the result of repeated impacts upon the lunar surface that resulted in crushing and remelting of material. It was an impact event (an asteroid striking the Moon)-not a volcano-that launched the mass from which this slice is derived into space and, millions of years later, into Earth's orbit where it eventually fell in the Sahara. DAG 400 contains white chips of anorthosite and has been extensively studied by scientists throughout the world. This is a thin partial slice of the most celebrated object in the night sky: the Moon. Measures 32 x 20 x 1mm (1.25 x .75 x .1 inches) and weighs1.32 grams
The Sahara Desert / Libya
When 18th Century scientists first accepted the notion that meteorites came from outer space, they believed all meteorites were blasted off the Moon by powerful volcanic eruptions. They could not have been more wrong. Samples of the Moon, and in particular, lunar meteorites, are among the rarest naturally occurring substances on Earth and collectively weigh less than 0.0001% of all known meteorites. Lunar specimens are identified by specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures, and the scientific abstract describing such details of the current offering accompanies this lot. The most common minerals found on Earth's surface are not found on the Moon; the minerals comprising the Moon's crust are limited and readily identifiable. In addition, lunar rocks contain gases originating from the solar wind with isotope ratios that are very different than the same gases found on Earth. Suspected lunar meteorites are also matched against lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo missions. The appearance of DAG 400 is the result of repeated impacts upon the lunar surface that resulted in crushing and remelting of material. It was an impact event (an asteroid striking the Moon)-not a volcano-that launched the mass from which this slice is derived into space and, millions of years later, into Earth's orbit where it eventually fell in the Sahara. DAG 400 contains white chips of anorthosite and has been extensively studied by scientists throughout the world. This is a thin partial slice of the most celebrated object in the night sky: the Moon. Measures 32 x 20 x 1mm (1.25 x .75 x .1 inches) and weighs1.32 grams