Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)
Sahara Desert, Kidal, Mali
Lunar meteorites striking Earth are the result of fragments of the Moon having been ejected off the lunar surface by asteroid impacts; nearly all of the craters of the Moon are the result of such impacts. 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 occurred on the Moon’s surface, Moon rocks have a lot of different looks and textures. Tisserlitine 001 is an extremely unique presentation—not only because of what occurred on the Moon but also what occurred on Earth following its arrival. There are minerals present which would require hot water—irrefutable evidence of this meteorite having landed where there was once a hot spring. Tisserlitine contains clasts of anorthite, olivine, pigeonite, augite and orthopyroxene in a fine-grained matrix. The scientist who did the analysis on this specimen, 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. This partial slice features one edge of its natural exterior surface as well as Tisserlitine’s characteristic venting of the matrix. The polished surface reveals myriad brecciated fragments of the Moon. Only about 800 kg of lunar meteorites are known to exist, making the Moon among the rarest substances on our planet.
131 x 159 x 4 mm and 229.9 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; this example is ten times as massive.
Provenance: The Stifler Collection of Meteorites.
