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Photo
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| Fragment
Of Lunar Meteorite Dar Al Gani 400 |
Statement
Of Authenticity For Meteorite Fragment |
| Not
all lunar material on the Earth originates from the space
program.
Many years after Project Apollo ended, some meterorites have been found
and identified to be of lunar origin. The second lunar meteorite to found on the Earth was located near Dar Al Gani in the Libyan Sahara Desert. This find occured on March 10, 1998. The geographical coordinates where it was found are 27°22.17'N 16°11.93'E. The meteorite has been designated Dar al Gani (DAG) 400. Dag 400 had a mass of 1425 grams. A fusion crust may be produced on meteorite as it streaks through the Earth's atmosphere during entry. The DaG 400 meteorite was partially covered with a brown fusion crust when it was found on the desert floor. Slices have been made of DaG 400 for analysis and the freshly cut material apperas to be gray to dark gray. Through detailed chemical analysis and by comparison with the lunar samples brought back from the Moon by the space program, it can be determined if a meteorite originates from the Moon. DaG 400 has been identified as a lunar anorthositic breccia. The fragment of DaG 400 was consigned for auction on eBay in April of 2000 by meteorite dealer Dean Bessey from Toronto Ontario Canada. On April 18, 2000 the Earth To The Moon & Space Museum acquired this piece of the Moon from Mr. Bessey. The size of this lunar sample is approximately 3 mm by 2 mm. |