Lunar Meteorites For Sale

Lunar, feldspathic breccia Found in Bechar, Algeria, 2022 March 24 The Bechar 003 lunar meteorite is a remarkable extraterrestrial specimen discovered in Algeria. Its composition consists predominantly of silicate minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. Olivine is a magnesium-iron silicate mineral that can have a greenish or yellowish color, while pyroxene is a group of silicate minerals that are typically dark in color. Additionally, the Bechar 003 meteorite contains other minerals such as feldspar, troilite (a form of iron sulfide), and small metallic grains of nickel-iron alloy. It also contains anorthite, a calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar mineral that is commonly found in lunar rocks and samples brought back from the Moon by the Apollo missions. The lunar crust is predominantly composed of plagioclase feldspar, with anorthite being a significant component.

Lunar (feldsp. breccia) Found Bechar, Algeria in 2022

What is a lunar meteorite? In simple terms, they are rocks from the Moon. The Moon is about 238,855 miles away from the Earth, and Moon rocks are believed to have been launched from its surface within the past 20 million years. Lunar meteorites are incredibly rare. Only about 694 lunar meteorites have been found, as of 2024. Most Moon rocks were discovered in Northwest Africa, but some have also been found in Antarctica. Currently, there have not been any lunar meteorites found in the United States. There have also not been any witnessed lunar meteorite falls. How do we know lunar meteorites came from the Moon? NASA’s Apollo missions and the USSR’s Luna missions both returned samples from the Moon’s surface. Luna 16 (USSR) was the first mission to successfully return samples from the Moon in 1970. The soil the robotic probe collected was found to be similar to samples returned by Apollo 12. Thanks to the work done by these scientists, we can compare lunar meteorites to Earth rocks and confirm they came from the Moon. It’s important to know that while it is illegal to own Apollo return samples, it’s perfectly legal to own meteorites from the Moon. Lunar meteorites are also sometimes called Moon rocks. Bechar 010 is a lunar meteorite that was found in Algeria in 2022. The Moon rocks appear as dark, irregular stones. When cut, the meteorites reveal a dark interior with pale casts and visible metal—yes, lunar meteorites contain metal! How valuable are lunar meteorites? Meteorites from the Moon have been auctioned for millions of dollars over the years. Aerolite’s lunar meteorites are affordable for both the serious collector and the curious onlooker. Lunar meteorites can make a heartfelt and unique gift, or ignite a child’s curiosity. Why buy meteorites from Aerolite? Authenticity is guaranteed by Aerolite Meteorites, and Certificates of Authenticity are available upon request.

Shop collectibles with genuine lunar meteorites and dust

Laâyoune is the largest city in Western Sahara and is thought to have been founded by Spanish captain Antonio de Pro in 1938. The name means “the springs,” referring to the oases that furnish the city with water. In January of 2022, stones were purchased from the finder by Aziz Habibi. Laâyoune 002 stones have a grey exterior with striking white clasts; this feldspathic breccia’s composition includes known minerals to lunar meteorites, like anorthite. 1971, astronauts James Irwin and David Scott (Apollo 15) collected what is now known as the Genesis Rock (sample 15415) from Spur crater. Analysis concluded that the rock is make up of anorthosite, which is composed mostly of anorthite. This material is what the lunar highlands, the light colored material on the Moon’s surface, is mostly made of. These highlands are older than the darker plains on the Moon, and hence display more craters. The lunar highlands are also the site where many volcanic lava tube skylights have been found.

Lunar, feldspathic breccia Found in Northwest Africa, 2017 Northwest Africa (NWA) 11237 is classified as a lunar meteorite, specifically a feldspathic breccia originating from the Moon. It was discovered in the Northwest African region and belongs to a group of meteorites known as the NWA meteorites. As a lunar feldspathic breccia, NWA 11237 represents a fascinating piece of the Moon's geological history. It is composed of a mixture of different rock fragments, including feldspar-rich materials. The brecciated nature of the meteorite suggests that it was formed through multiple impact events on the lunar surface, where rocks were shattered and later reassembled. NWA 11237's composition also includes trace elements that are essential for understanding the geochemical evolution of the Moon. By analyzing these trace elements, such as rare earth elements (REEs), scientists can gain insights into lunar differentiation processes, volcanic activity, and the formation of lunar crustal rocks.

Lunar, feldspathic breccia Found in Northwest Africa, 2017 NWA 11303 is one the more visually appealing lunar meteorites available to collectors, and the favorite of company staff. It was found in 2017 and classified by meteorite scientists A. Irving and S. Kuehner at the Department of Earth at Space Sciences at UWS. Laboratory-polished slices reveal a kaleidoscope of clasts of varying sizes and colors, clearly demonstrating the multifaceted composition of this lunar breccia. It is expected to see little or no iron and lunar meteorites, but this amazing moon rock contains visible metallic inclusions. The laboratory noted the extreme hardness of this rock, which lent itself to an exceptional polish.

Lunar, feldspathic breccia Found in Mali, 2017 Acquired from the finder in 2017 in Africa, the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11788 was sent to the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico for analysis and classification. The “Meteoritical Bulletin” describes it as “a finely fragmental breccia with white feldspathic clasts set in a dark gray ground mass with metal flecks and minor vesiculation appearing throughout.” Note its dark gray, almost black matrix, punctuated by clasts of varying size and color.

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia) Found in 2019 Northwest Africa 12765 is a spectacular meteorite in appearance. Great grey colored groundmass with a colorful interior — which is composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine (some of which is forsterite), low-Ca pyroxene, unexsolved pigeonite, subcalcic augite, chromite and ilmenite within a fine grained, sparsely microvesicular matrix containing minor secondary barite.

Lunar, feldspathic melt breccia Found in Northwest Africa, 2021 Northwest Africa 13974, an impact melt breccia, was found in the Western Sahara and multiple complete individuals were purchased by Adam Aaronson in Temara in 2021. Cut faces reveal a dark grey interior and a brecciated texture. Lunar breccias are typically found in areas where fragments of angular rock have been fused together, and the clasts found in this spectacular lunar include anorthite, rare on Earth but found widely on the Moon and compose the Lunar terrae, patches of bright white and light grey terrains on the Moon’s surface. The terrae are the ancient remnants of the lunar crust, which have been bombarded over billions of years by impacts large and small.

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia) Purchased: 2021 Feb in Mali

In 2021, camel shepherds in Mali stumble upon the Northwest Africa 14041 lunar meteorite. Five pieces which total 11,700 grams have been recovered in total. Professor Tony Irving of the University of Washington Seattle and Paul Carpenter of Washington University in St. Louis classified the meteorite as a feldspathic lunar breccia. A rock made up of mostly angular fragments of other rocks, cemented together, is called a breccia. Researchers believe that about 4 million years ago, debris from the solar system battered the Moon to form the craters and basins we see dotting the Moon’s surface today. These impacts not only changed the lunar landscape, but also broke and melted rock fragments together, creating breccias. A rock is “feldspathic” if it contains or relates to the mineral feldspar. Anorthosite, found abundantly in the lunar highlands, is primarily composed of feldspar. It is thought that shortly after its formation, the Moon melted. As it began to cool, feldspar crystals formed the Moon’s crust. These crystals were initially pale grey or colorless, but as meteorites bombarded the Moon’s surface, they became shocked and turned white. NASA’s Apollo 16 astronauts collected anorthosite from the lunar surface. Scientists determined the sample was 4.19 billion years old.

Lunar meteorite (melt breccia) Found in Northwest Africa in 2021

How do we know these meteorites came from the Moon? Lunar meteorites like NWA 14729 have been tested by scientists and have been found to contain unique chemical and mineral characteristics specific to the Moon, mainly based on comparisons made between Apollo return samples to Earth rocks. NASA’s Apollo missions and the USSR’s Luna missions both returned samples from the Moon’s surface. In 1970, Luna 16 (USSR) was the first mission to successfully return samples from beyond Earth. The robotic probe brought back 101 grams of lunar soil from a region on the Moon called Mare Fecunditatis. It took seven minutes of drilling for the probe to reach a depth of 35 centimeters, from which it collected its sample. The Luna 16 soil was found to be similar to samples returned by Apollo 12, which were almost all basalts. The Apollo 12 samples included only two breccias. How much are lunar meteorites worth? Famously, three samples weighing 0.2g of the Luna 16 were sold at auction for $442.500 in 1993. These fragments sold again, at auction, in 2018 for $855,000. However, meteorites are a little different. Remember, while it is illegal to own Apollo return samples, meteorites are very legal to own. What is NWA 14729? NWA 14729 lunar meteorites were first purchased from a Moroccan dealer in 2021, and when studied were found to be lunar melt breccias. A breccia is a rock composed of fragments of older rocks that have all been broken apart and “glued” back together, likely during a collision. Specifically, melt breccias have veins of liquid impact melt that have been injected into the small spaces between rock fragments during an impact. This liquid quickly cools and forms glass. Scientists have noticed that many times, tiny bubbles of gas are trapped in the liquid before it cools and solidifies. These bubbles are called vesicles, and are often seen in meteorites from the Moon. This is the case with NWA 14729. When sliced, the meteorite exhibits a matrix consisting of vesicular melt rock.

Lunar (troct. anorth.) Found in Morocco, 2022 Troctolites are a type of intrusive igneous rock, meaning that they formed magma cooled and recrystallized underground. They contain calcium rich plagioclase and olivine. Despite being gabbros, troctolites do not contain pyroxene. They do, however, contain anorthosite; this material is what the lunar highlands, the light-colored material on the Moon’s surface, is mostly made of. These highlands are older than the darker plains on the Moon, and hence display more craters. The lunar highlands are also the site where many volcanic lava tube skylights have been found. Notably, Sample 12033, which was collected during the Apollo 12 mission, was found to be a troctolite. In 1972, astronaut Harrison Schmitt also collected a troctolite sample during the Apollo 17 mission. It’s been called the most interesting sample returned from the Moon, and is the oldest known unshocked lunar rock. It’s believed that troctolites formed inside the Moon’s magma chamber. As this magma cooled, different minerals crystalized at varying temperatures, at which point the olivine and plagioclase in troctolites would have crystallized together. The large crystals seen in troctolites also imply that during the differentiation stage, they sank to the bottom of the magma chamber. However, as the Moon was bombarded by meteorites, the troctolites were excavated and also experienced some melting. Eventually, an impact ejected from the Moon and they hurtled through space, before crossing Earth’s trajectory and falling to the surface as a meteorite.

Lunar, Feldspathic Breccia Found in Northwest Africa, 2013 Lunar meteorites are especially intriguing to meteorite professionals. The work Apollo astronauts did in the 1960s and 1970s taught us much of what we know about our nearest celestial neighbor, and lunar meteorites contribute greatly to that knowledge base. NWA 8022 is particularly interesting as it contains a rare nickel-iron alloy called awaruite, which is silver-white to grey-white in appearance and can be found on Earth in river deposits. It also contains anorthite, which is what the lunar highlands, the light colored material on the Moon’s surface, is mostly made of. These highlands are older than the darker plains on the Moon, and hence display more craters. The lunar highlands are also the site where many volcanic lava tube skylights have been found.

Lunar, gabbro Found in Northwest Africa, 2013 Lunar meteorite NWA 8277 was a small single stone weighing only 773 grams, a breccia with distinct clasts and multiple lithologies. It is noted in the meteoritical bulletin as an achondrite (lunar breccia), comparison of macroscopic and backscatter-electron textures, geochemistry of pyroxenes, olivines, and plagioclase. We are fortunate to have a few slices of this rare material available.

Lunar, Feldspathic Breccia Found in Saguia el Hamra, Western Sahara in 2022

Lunar, feldspathic breccia Found in Adrar, Algeria in 2020 Found by meteorite hunters between Algeria and the find site of the Erg Chech 002 meteorite. Classified as a feldspathic breccia, Touat 005 is unique in that it contains white plagioclase megacrysts, or particularly large crystalline grains. A possible monomict breccia, it’s likely that Touat 005 is made up of several rocks—of similar lithologies, or physical characteristics—that brecciated on the Moon’s surface. These light-colored grains, which are set against the meteorite’s dark, shock-veined matrix, give Touat 005 its nickname, “The Stained Glass Lunar.”

Lunar, troctolite, melt breccia Found in Adrar, Algeria, February 2023 Troctolites are a type of intrusive igneous rock, meaning that they formed  magma cooled and recrystallized underground. They contain calcium rich plagioclase and olivine. Despite being gabbros, troctolites do not contain pyroxene. They do, however, contain anorthosite; this material is what the lunar highlands, the light-colored material on the Moon’s surface, is mostly made of. These highlands are older than the darker plains on the Moon, and hence display more craters. The lunar highlands are also the site where many volcanic lava tube skylights have been found. Notably, Sample 12033, which was collected during the Apollo 12 mission, was found to be a troctolite. In 1972, astronaut Harrison Schmitt also collected a troctolite sample during the Apollo 17 mission. It’s been called the most interesting sample returned from the Moon, and is the oldest known unshocked lunar rock. It’s believed that troctolites formed inside the Moon’s magma chamber. As this magma cooled, different minerals crystalized at varying temperatures, at which point the olivine and plagioclase in troctolites would have crystallized together. The large crystals seen in troctolites also imply that during the differentiation stage, they sank to the bottom of the magma chamber. However, as the Moon was bombarded by meteorites, the troctolites were excavated and also experienced some melting. Eventually, an impact ejected from the Moon and they hurtled through space, before crossing Earth’s trajectory and falling to the surface as a meteorite.