Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)
Sahara Desert, Kidal, Mali
Lunar meteorites arrived on Earth as a result of having been ejected off the lunar surface by asteroid impacts—the craters of the Moon are the result of such impacts. Only about 750 kg of lunar meteorites are known to exist, making it among the rarest substances on our planet. Scientists are readily able to identify Moon rocks by analyzing a rock’s texture, mineralogy, chemistry and isotopes. Because of the many, many impacts that had occurred on the Moon, Moon rocks can have a lot of different looks and textures. Tisserlitine 001 is pretty unique look—not only because of what occurred on the Moon but what happened on Earth. There are minerals present which would require hot water—evidence of this meteorite having landed on a hot springs. Tisserlitine contains clasts ofanorthite, olivine, pigeonite, augite and orthopyroxene in a fine-grained matrix. The scientist who did the analysis, Dr. Anthony Irving, has an international reputation for classifying Martian and lunar meteorites. This partial slice was cut from what was the second largest piece of the Moon on Earth.
46 x 45 x 4 mm and 21.2 grams.
A copy of the scientific analysis and classification of Tisserlitine 001 accompanies this sample.
A 22.52g specimen of Tisserlitine sold for $7,500 at Christie’s on February 23, 2021.
Provenance: The Stifler Collection of Meteorites.
