Lunar Meteorite — Tisserlitine 006

THE LARGEST KNOWN LUNAR SPHERE

Lunar material is some of the rarest material to exist on our planet — only 1,536 kilograms (3,386 lb) of confirmed lunar meteorites currently exist on Earth. And, while six of the Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms (842 lb) of so-called "Moon rocks" from their combined voyages, those samples of the Moon are unavailable for private ownership. As a result, any piece of lunar material is exceedingly rare and highly sought after by both institutions and private collectors.

Despite the extreme rarity of lunar meteorites, lunar spheres have sometimes been fashioned from these stones once the requisite samples have been taken for identification and scientific analysis. Most lunar spheres are quite small, however, mainly because a much larger source meteorite is required to create even a relatively small lunar sphere. This is why most lunar spheres seen at auction measure less than 40 mm (1⅝ inches) in diameter, and weigh 100 grams or less.

The lunar sphere offered here, the largest one known to the public, has a diameter of 120 mm (4¾ inches) and weighs 2.54 kilograms (5.60 lb). In other words, a 1-inch diameter lunar sphere could fit into this one an incredible 105 times, with room to spare. As creating any lunar sphere is an incredibly skillful endeavor requiring highly trained artisans and state-of-the-art equipment, and because there is the ever-present danger that the meteorite will crack or become damaged during the fabrication process, most meteorite owners are not willing to take on the burden or risk of creating something this magnificent.

Tisserlitine 006 features a light and dark grey surface, with a brecciated texture characterized by anorthite, olivine, and pigeonite clasts set into a vesicular matrix. This lunar sphere's primary palette of grey and white is punctuated in numerous places by bright orange desert caliche, evidence of its time spent in the sands of the Sahara Desert.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Tisserlitine 006