Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Lot #8665
Oued El Hamim 001 Lunar Meteorite Individual - A Complete Moon Rock!

Complete moon rock, evidencing subsurface water on the moon

This lot has closed

Sold For $15,699

*Includes Buyers Premium

Estimate: $10000+
Sell a Similar Item?
Refer Collections and Get Paid
Share:  

Description

Complete moon rock, evidencing subsurface water on the moon

Complete moon rock (lunar feldspathic breccia)
102 mm x 79 mm x 38 mm
303 grams

While it is not possible to obtain lunar samples brought back from the Apollo program, we have rare opportunities to own them thanks to meteorites hitting the moon and ejecting moon rocks toward Earth.

Oued El Hamim 001 (OEH 001) was found in Ajdabiya, Libya. It has been officially classified in the Meteoritical Bulletin as a lunar frag breccia, one of only 48 such classifications on Earth. From the various analyses performed by Dr. Agee at the University of New Mexico: 'Electron microprobe analysis and imagery indicate a lunar fragmental breccia with clasts of minerals and rocklets.'

Further setting this meteorite apart is the presence of aqueous alteration—almost unheard of in lunar specimens. Dr. Agee’s analysis revealed olivine crystals transformed into an iddingsite-like phase, evidence of interaction with water below the lunar surface. Distinct boundaries between altered and unaltered zones reveal a unique geological record, offering insights into rare processes on the Moon.

Auction Info