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Presenting NWA 12691: the fifth largest piece of the Moon on our planet today, now available for purchase via Christie’s Private Sales. Weighing in at a hefty 13.535 kg, this particular lunar meteorite was found in the Sahara Desert two years ago.
As the Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, comets or meteorites land directly on its surface, blasting off chunks of the Moon and leaving its characteristic pockmarked surface. These chunks arrive on Earth after hurtling through our atmosphere – NWA 12691 is part of a large meteorite shower that spanned the Western Saharan, Algerian and Mauritanian borders.
This meteorite isn’t just massive in its own right: it’s larger than any rock sample that’s ever been brought back by the Apollo missions. It’s also had a pretty remarkable journey. Having literally flown through the vastness of space and uniquely shaped by forces on and off this world, the 13.535 kg piece of the moon is indeed a specialty collector’s dream.
More than that, lunar rocks are composed of minerals or trapped gasses captured by solar winds quite unlike anything on Earth. Naturally, moon rock is an exceedingly rare substance on Earth. Says Christie’s Head of Science & Natural History James Hyslop in a press release, “It is so much larger than anything else that has ever been offered before. The experience of holding a piece of another world in your hands is something you never forget.”
Up for offer as well is a collection of 13 aesthetic iron meteorites. These sculptures have been warped and textured by their journey through space, making for a stunning art collection that is a celebration of natural (though extra-terrestrial) beauty. These are valued at a relatively more affordable S$2.4 million as a group, also available on Christie’s Private Sales.
Click here to go to Christie’s: everything from contemporary art to the skull of a triceratops are up for bidding.
*Photo by Nicolas Thomas on Unsplash.
