THE MAIN MASS OF THE NEWEST LUNAR METEORITE — AN AUTHENTICATED AND IMPORTANT LUNAR SAMPLE  
Mingled Lunar Breccia (provisional name: UA 2237)
Dhofar, Oman

Never before has the main mass (the largest portion) of a lunar meteorite been offered at auction. As of April 1, 2008 the Meteoritical Bulletin—the accredited scientific journal of record—referenced 56 distinct lunar meteorites, with a total weight of less than 100 pounds which makes lunar samples among the rarest substances found on Earth. At 10:30 in the morning on January 4, 2008 in the Dhofar Desert region of Oman, meteorite hunter Michael Farmer found what is now acknowledged by scientists to be the 57th distinct lunar meteorite known to exist. The news of this discovery will be imminently announced by the Meteoritical Bulletin—a discovery which Mr. Farmer was fortunate to have made: it was after having decided with co-hunter Robert Ward to get out of the desert and return to civilization to get gas that Mr. Farmer spotted the dark rock atop the desert pavement (an ancient seabed where the sand has blown away). Upon having noticed the white anorthositic clasts—Mr. Farmer knew he found a Moon rock. Using a satellite phone, he immediately called acclaimed NASA scientist Dr. Ted Bunch who—along with Dr. Dolores Hill of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory—did the preliminary work on what is the most recently discovered meteorite from the Moon.

Lunar specimens are identified by highly specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures. 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 markedly different than the same gases found on Earth. The lunar samples brought to Earth by the Apollo missions are matched with lunar meteorites for further verification.

This specimen offered here is an end piece and the main mass; the rest of the meteorite has been subdivided into slices, partial slices, thin sections and the “type” specimen now held by scientists. The specimen is extremely fresh and solid. The cut face of this meteorite exhibits a character of the finest brecciated Moon rocks: the obverse reveals dozens of white onorthositic inclusions in a dark olivine-rich matrix. The reverse is covered with fusion crust glazed by a natural desert varnish—the result of sitting in the Omani Desert for hundreds if not thousands of years. Several large ornorthositic inclusions are also readily observed on the reverse. The main mass is held aloft in a custom armature covered by a Lucite dome that is secured to the pedestal’s base. The entire meteorite was purchased and distributed by the Macovich Collection. It is unusual to possess the main mass of any meteorite—let alone that of a lunar meteorite. The specimen comes accompanied by a copy of the forthcoming Meteoritical Bulletin in which it is fully described. This is a superb, pristine example of a lunar meteorite and, in what is an unprecedented public offering, a Moon rock’s main mass. 53 x 44 x 18mm (2.0 x 1.75 x 0.75 inches) and 30.34 grams

Estimate: $50,000 - 65,000