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Remarkable estimated 373-gram quantity of genuine lunar meteorite dust produced during the cutting and polishing of Northwest Africa 5000 (NWA 5000), one of the most celebrated large lunar meteorites ever recovered. The pale gray material is contained in a tall glass jar and derives directly from the preparation of the massive 11.528-kilogram NWA 5000 main mass, discovered in southern Morocco in July 2007 and subsequently classified as a lunar feldspathic, metal-bearing leucogabbroic breccia.
NWA 5000 originated in the ancient lunar highlands and preserves a complex history of repeated impacts on the Moon: its constituent rocks were brecciated, veined with impact melt, and mixed during successive collisions before a later impact ejected the material from the lunar surface and ultimately delivered it to Earth. Scientific examination identified coarse leucogabbroic to gabbroic clasts, impact-melt material, metallic grains, and other mineral phases within its fragmental matrix.
The dust offered here was recovered during the exceptionally careful preparation of NWA 5000 by Marlin Cilz of Montana Meteorite Laboratory. According to the accompanying certificate, cutting and polishing material was collected from the lubricating fluid used during sawing, from the saw table, and from the hand-polishing of individual cut surfaces—making this, quite literally, material removed from the Moon rock during preparation. The original certified accumulation weighed 448 grams; the present jar contains approximately 373 grams.
Accompanied by a June 14, 2014 Certificate of Authenticity signed by Gregory M. Hupé, identifying the material as NWA 5000 cutting and polishing dust, as well as extensive scientific and collection documentation concerning the meteorite's discovery, classification, composition, and preparation. An extraordinary bulk quantity of authenticated lunar material from a famous and extensively studied Moon rock.
