Largest rare lunar meteorite to be auctioned

An extremely rare lunar meteorite is set to go to auction later this month by Boston-based RR Auction. The lunar meteorite is classified as NWA 11789, lunar feldspathic breccia, unofficially known as "Buagaba" or "The Moon Puzzle."

The meteorite is comprised of six fragments that fit together, puzzle-like, to form a mass weighing very nearly 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds). With partial fusion crust visible on one side, it is a brand-new classification and the largest known, complete lunar puzzle.

Without a doubt, it is one of the most important meteorites available for acquisition anywhere in the world today and, perhaps, the most significant example of our nearest celestial neighbor ever offered for sale in the history of meteorite science.

"It's a highly important, world-class example of a lunar meteorite," said Geoff Notkin, CEO of Aerolite Meteorites Inc, and star of television's Meteorite Men. "It was blasted off the surface of our moon in the distant past, likely by the impact of a different meteorite, then journeyed the quarter-million miles to Earth and - against all the odds - survived a fiery descent through our atmosphere to be found in the wilds of the deserts of Northwest Africa in 2017," said Notkin.