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Author
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Topic: A sample of moon dust from the Apollo landing
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-21-2006 07:08 PM
   
From Bonhams' catalog for their January 24, 2006 upcoming auction, "The Gentleman's Library Furnishings, Science, Curiosities and Eccentricities" (Sale 13528): Lot No: 195A sample of moon dust from the Apollo landing, July 1969 The sample with small glass phial with cork stopper, attached by tape to laboratory record sheet and contained in cardboard box lettered "Moon Sample 11/12/69", phial 2.5cm. Estimate: £300 - 400 It's hard to imagine a scenario where this loose sample of dust - assuming its authentic - could be legal to sell. NASA has never allowed researchers to keep dust, even if it is the shavings from their experiments with loaned rocks. (Dust-stained objects are in a different category, as its then the ownership of the object which is at question.) Legalities aside, the auction description - at least as its presented online - appears to be missing any significant provenance or explanation of its history. |
Richard
New Member Posts: 5
From: Morrisonville, New York USA
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted 01-24-2006 05:28 PM
Besides everything you mentioned, I find it hard to believe that an organic cork stopper would be used to study a lunar sample. |
Scott
Member Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001
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posted 01-24-2006 05:56 PM
Am I the only one who can't see a thing on that page? Is there a picture of the lot anywhere? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-24-2006 08:21 PM
The auction description has been updated: This lot has been withdrawn |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-26-2006 07:10 PM
From The Economist: "Lot 195 has apparently gone back to the moon. It has been withdrawn from sale." Thus spake Jon Baddeley, head of scientific instruments at Bonhams auctioneers in London on January 24th. Lot 195, by its full description, was "A sample of moon dust from the Apollo landing, July 1969." The lot was a small glass phial with a cork stopper containing 31.2 milligrams of dust collected by the first men on the moon. It was attached to an annotated laboratory label. Bonhams estimated its value as £300-400 ($540-715). |
spaceuk
Member Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 02-07-2006 01:56 PM
I don't know where the "phial of lunar dust" seller was based but if it was a UK sample the first UK sample was picked up personally from LRL Houston on 15th September 1969 by Dr Agrell. This was from the 12th September 1969 international distribution of 8.2 kg or rocks and regolith being loaned out. It was estimated that some 3 kg would be destroyed from this international distribution during the various experiments.The samples were sent out in sealed metal or plastic vials (phials as some spell it) ,aluminium cans , stainless steel beakers and in thin section slide conatiners. All samples from this Apollo-11 distribution were rigorously controlled by NASA and PI had to prepare numerous documents including sceurity documents that explained how they would maintain the samples whilst in their care. After experimentation, all samples had to be returned. The sale vial was only 31.2 mg (just over 3/100ths of a gramme). In the UK most of the 'fines' samples were either 5 g or 10 g with odd one being at 20 g and a 2 g sample. There were a couple of smaller 25 mg samples. The full Apollo-11 (and the later Apollo-12) distribution of lunar rocks in UK appeared in my magazine article "Lunar Science Results" which appeared in August 1970. | |
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