Moon dust collected by astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission, which marked man's first trip to the moon in 1969, might earn a seven-figure amount at an auction this month – years after NASA fought in court to keep the dust.
Photo via Atlas Obscura
Armstrong collected the dust as a backup sample immediately after taking his first steps on the moon, saying: "That's one small stride for man, one great leap for mankind," according to the auction house Bonhams.
According to Bonhams, the dust is estimated to sell for between $800,000 and $1.2 million.
In 2017, the lunar bag that held it was auctioned off for $1.8 million, with only particles of lunar material left in the bag.
Photo via Atlas Obscura
According to Bonham's, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to scientific organizations.
The lunar dust will be auctioned off on April 13th as part of a space-themed auction that will also contain a piece of Sputnik 1, the world's first space satellite.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
