In a first, China has launched an unmanned spacecraft to bring samples of lunar rocks back to the Earth, making it the first country to do so in nearly four decades.

A Long March 5 rocket has been launched carrying&nbsp;the Chang'e-5 probe. It was launched from the&nbsp;Wenchang Space Center on the southern island province of Hainan at 4:30 am.

The aim of the mission is to bring back lunar rocks and soil so that the scientists can learn about the Moon's origins, formation and volcanic activity on the lunar surface.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-to-launch-unmanned-spacecraft-to-the-moon-this-week-344632">China to launch unmanned spacecraft to the moon this week</a>

This mission was supposed gt be launched in 2017, but was delayed due to an engine failure in the Long March 5 rocket. It is expected to land in late November and will be collecting material in one lunar day — which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.

Before this, only&nbsp;the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s respectively have been able to bring back such lunar rocks. So, if China is successful in its mission, it will the third country overall and first in nearly four decades to bring back lunar rock samples.

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China has launched a robotic spacecraft to bring samples of lunar rocks back to the Earth, making it the first country to do so in nearly four decades. It was launched from the Wenchang Space Center on the southern island province of Hainan. <a href="https://twitter.com/Shobhit10Mittal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Shobhit10Mittal</a> gets you more details <a href="https://t.co/1Dqt4OyR8b">pic.twitter.com/1Dqt4OyR8b</a>
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The experts will collect nearly two kilograms (4.5 pounds) of surface material in an area known as&nbsp;Oceanus Procellarum&nbsp;(or "Ocean of Storms") which mainly consists of lava plain.

After being picked, the samples will be brought back to the Earth in a capsule that will land in northern China's&nbsp;Inner Mongolia region in early December.

In a first, China has launched an unmanned spacecraft to bring samples of lunar rocks back to the Earth, making it the first country to do so in nearly four decades.

In a first, China has launched an unmanned spacecraft to bring samples of lunar rocks back to the Earth, making it the first country to do so in nearly four decades. A Long March 5 rocket has been launched carrying the Chang'e-5 probe. It was launched from the Wenchang Space Center on the southern island province of Hainan at 4:30 am. The aim of the mission is to bring back lunar rocks and soil so that the scientists can learn about the Moon's origins, formation and volcanic activity on the lunar surface. Also read| China to launch unmanned spacecraft to the moon this week This mission was supposed gt be launched in 2017, but was delayed due to an engine failure in the Long March 5 rocket. It is expected to land in late November and will be collecting material in one lunar day — which is equivalent to 14 Earth days. Before this, only the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s respectively have been able to bring back such lunar rocks. So, if China is successful in its mission, it will the third country overall and first in nearly four decades to bring back lunar rock samples. China has launched a robotic spacecraft to bring samples of lunar rocks back to the Earth, making it the first country to do so in nearly four decades. It was launched from the Wenchang Space Center on the southern island province of Hainan. @Shobhit10Mittal gets you more details pic.twitter.com/1Dqt4OyR8b — WION (@WIONews) November 24, 2020 × The experts will collect nearly two kilograms (4.5 pounds) of surface material in an area known as Oceanus Procellarum (or "Ocean of Storms") which mainly consists of lava plain. After being picked, the samples will be brought back to the Earth in a capsule that will land in northern China's Inner Mongolia region in early December.

China launches first unmanned spacecraft to moon to collect lunar rocks

One of the world's largest Moon rock will go on sale in London on Friday. Valued at $2.49 million, the piece of the meteorite was knocked off the moon and will auction at a private sale at Christie's in Britain.

Known as NWA 12691, it is thought to be the fifth largest piece of the moon ever found on earth and weighs over 13.5 kg.

Scientists determined the rock to be from Moon&nbsp;after&nbsp;they compared it with other samples of moon rock brought back by the United States' Apollo space missions to the moon.

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According to a report by Reuters, the moon rock was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with an asteroid or comet and then showered down on the Sahara desert.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pink-moon-biggest-supermoon-of-2020-illuminates-the-sky-291261">Also read: Pink moon: Biggest supermoon of 2020 illuminates the sky</a>

"It is an actual piece of the moon. It is about the size of a football, a bit more oblong than that, larger than your head," said James Hyslop, Christie's head of science and natural history.

Meteorites are incredibly rare and only about one in a thousand comes from the moon, making this a very special object, Hyslop also said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pandemic-nasa-suspends-work-on-moon-rocket-287633">Also read: Coronavirus pandemic-&nbsp;NASA suspends work on Moon rocket</a>

"We are expecting huge international interest in it from natural history museums... it is a wonderful trophy for anyone who is interested in &nbsp;space history or lunar exploration."

The moon has fascinated man since the dawn of human history as a symbol of power, love, time and prosperity, and is the earth's only natural satellite. It is thought to have been formed 4.5 billion years ago when a Mars-sized body collided with earth.

(With inputs from agencies)

One of the world's largest Moon rock will go on sale in London on Friday. Valued at $2.49 million, the piece of the meteorite was knocked off the moon and will auction at a private sale at Christie's in Britain.

One of the world's largest Moon rock will go on sale in London on Friday. Valued at $2.49 million, the piece of the meteorite was knocked off the moon and will auction at a private sale at Christie's in Britain. Known as NWA 12691, it is thought to be the fifth largest piece of the moon ever found on earth and weighs over 13.5 kg. Scientists determined the rock to be from Moon after they compared it with other samples of moon rock brought back by the United States' Apollo space missions to the moon. According to a report by Reuters, the moon rock was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with an asteroid or comet and then showered down on the Sahara desert. Also read: Pink moon: Biggest supermoon of 2020 illuminates the sky "It is an actual piece of the moon. It is about the size of a football, a bit more oblong than that, larger than your head," said James Hyslop, Christie's head of science and natural history. Meteorites are incredibly rare and only about one in a thousand comes from the moon, making this a very special object, Hyslop also said. Also read: Coronavirus pandemic- NASA suspends work on Moon rocket "We are expecting huge international interest in it from natural history museums... it is a wonderful trophy for anyone who is interested in space history or lunar exploration." The moon has fascinated man since the dawn of human history as a symbol of power, love, time and prosperity, and is the earth's only natural satellite. It is thought to have been formed 4.5 billion years ago when a Mars-sized body collided with earth. (With inputs from agencies)

Moon rock for sale!: One of the largest lunar meteorite to be auctioned for $2.5 million

Visitors wandering along the nave of Washington National Cathedral can be treated to an unusual sight: a 3.6 billion-year-old moon rock, encased in one of the cathedral's windows. The Apollo 11 astronauts brought back to Earth this piece of the moon, which weighs 7.18 grams and was donated to the cathedral in 1974. Their historic moon landing marks its 50th anniversary on July 20th of this year.

A 3.6 billion-year-old moon rock shines in Washington National Cathedral

The only documented moon rocks still in private hands sold on Thursday at Sotheby's New York auction house for $850,000.

The sale - including all sorts of objects and items pertaining to outer space - took place a month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission to send men around the Moon for the first time, and Sotheby's took advantage of the anniversary to offer about 300 collectors' items related to assorted space missions.

The moon rocks - tiny fragments, actually, had been valued between $700,000 and $1 million, and ultimately went for $855,000 after adding taxes and commissions.

The three tiny lunar stones were obtained during the unmanned Russian Luna-16 mission to the Moon in 1970.

The rocks were initially the property of Nina Ivanovna Koroleva, the video of the director of the Soviet Union's space program, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who received them as a gift from the USSR in recognition of the contribution of her deceased husband.

They were previously sold at a Sotheby's auction in 1993, the first time in history that any extraterrestrial item had been offered to the public.

Also going on the auction block at the unusual sale on Thursday was a Gemini space suit prepared for NASA between 1963 and 1965 for US astronaut Pete Conrad, which sold for $162,500.

Sotheby's also auctioned off was the painting "The Final Impossibility: Man's Tracks on the Moon," painted in 1969 by US artist Norman Rockwell and sold for $87,500.

Numerous models of spacecraft, clocks and maps were also sold, along with the autographs of well-known astronauts and cosmonauts - including the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space - as well as photographs taken of the Moon during space missions and the flags of various nations taken on those missions.

The only documented moon rocks still in private hands sold on Thursday at Sotheby's New York auction house for $850,000. The sale - including all sorts of objects and items pertaining to outer space - took place a month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission to send men around the Moon for the first time, and Sotheby's took advantage of the anniversary to offer about 300 collectors' items related to assorted space missions.

The only documented moon rocks still in private hands sold on Thursday at Sotheby's New York auction house for $850,000. The sale - including all sorts of objects and items pertaining to outer space - took place a month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission to send men around the Moon for the first time, and Sotheby's took advantage of the anniversary to offer about 300 collectors' items related to assorted space missions. The moon rocks - tiny fragments, actually, had been valued between $700,000 and $1 million, and ultimately went for $855,000 after adding taxes and commissions. The three tiny lunar stones were obtained during the unmanned Russian Luna-16 mission to the Moon in 1970. The rocks were initially the property of Nina Ivanovna Koroleva, the video of the director of the Soviet Union's space program, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who received them as a gift from the USSR in recognition of the contribution of her deceased husband. They were previously sold at a Sotheby's auction in 1993, the first time in history that any extraterrestrial item had been offered to the public. Also going on the auction block at the unusual sale on Thursday was a Gemini space suit prepared for NASA between 1963 and 1965 for US astronaut Pete Conrad, which sold for $162,500. Sotheby's also auctioned off was the painting "The Final Impossibility: Man's Tracks on the Moon," painted in 1969 by US artist Norman Rockwell and sold for $87,500. Numerous models of spacecraft, clocks and maps were also sold, along with the autographs of well-known astronauts and cosmonauts - including the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space - as well as photographs taken of the Moon during space missions and the flags of various nations taken on those missions.

Moon rocks sell for $855,000 at Sotheby's New York auction house

A Boston auction house is offering what it says is the largest chunk of moon rock ever put up for auction, a rare lunar meteorite that was discovered in northwest Africa.

The meteorite comes in six pieces that fit together, weighing a total of about 12 pounds (5 kilograms), and has a sale estimate of $500,000 in the sale closing October 18, RR Auction said.

"It is one of the larger lunar meteorites ever found," Geoff Notkin, the chief executive officer of Aerolite Meteorites, the company selling the specimen, said in an interview. "And there's never been one like this and we call it a lunar puzzle."

Although the pieces closely resemble regular brownish-black earth rocks to the untrained eye, Notkin said it was a thing of rare beauty to a meteorite aficionado such as himself.

Some pieces of moon rock have made their way back to earth in the care of Apollo astronauts. The rest were blasted off the moon's surface by meteorite impacts, typically hundreds or thousands of years ago, blazing through earth's atmosphere like a shooting star.

Most likely disappear into the planet's oceans, but a few hundred confirmed examples of lunar meteorites have been found in recent decades on land, many in Antarctica or the deserts of northwest Africa.

In 2012, Heritage Auctions offered what it said then was the largest chunk of moon rock ever come to up for auction, weighing about 4 pounds (1.8 kg).

Even the largest single fragment of the Aerolite specimen, known as Northwest Africa 11789, appears to be bigger, weighing over 4.4 pounds (2 kg), according to its entry in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database run by the Meteoritical Society, a non-profit group based in Virginia.

The database entry says the meteorite is composed of nine pieces, not six.

"I'm pretty sure it was a mistake," said Dustin Dickens, the meteorite trader who submitted the entry after purchasing the specimen last year in Mauritiana from a meteorite hunter he said wanted anonymity after finding the pieces in neighbouring Mali.

He believes it was seven pieces, but said he gave the smallest piece, weighing a few dozen grams, to the University of New Mexico's Institute of Meteoritics for testing.

Notkin and RR Auction did not immediately respond to questions about the discrepancy.

In 2007, one of the largest lunar meteorites ever found was discovered in Morocco, a single lump weighing 25 pounds (11.5 kg.)

A Boston auction house is offering what it says is the largest chunk of moon rock ever put up for auction, a rare lunar meteorite that was discovered in northwest Africa.

A Boston auction house is offering what it says is the largest chunk of moon rock ever put up for auction, a rare lunar meteorite that was discovered in northwest Africa. The meteorite comes in six pieces that fit together, weighing a total of about 12 pounds (5 kilograms), and has a sale estimate of $500,000 in the sale closing October 18, RR Auction said. "It is one of the larger lunar meteorites ever found," Geoff Notkin, the chief executive officer of Aerolite Meteorites, the company selling the specimen, said in an interview. "And there's never been one like this and we call it a lunar puzzle." Although the pieces closely resemble regular brownish-black earth rocks to the untrained eye, Notkin said it was a thing of rare beauty to a meteorite aficionado such as himself. Some pieces of moon rock have made their way back to earth in the care of Apollo astronauts. The rest were blasted off the moon's surface by meteorite impacts, typically hundreds or thousands of years ago, blazing through earth's atmosphere like a shooting star. Most likely disappear into the planet's oceans, but a few hundred confirmed examples of lunar meteorites have been found in recent decades on land, many in Antarctica or the deserts of northwest Africa. In 2012, Heritage Auctions offered what it said then was the largest chunk of moon rock ever come to up for auction, weighing about 4 pounds (1.8 kg). Even the largest single fragment of the Aerolite specimen, known as Northwest Africa 11789, appears to be bigger, weighing over 4.4 pounds (2 kg), according to its entry in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database run by the Meteoritical Society, a non-profit group based in Virginia. The database entry says the meteorite is composed of nine pieces, not six. "I'm pretty sure it was a mistake," said Dustin Dickens, the meteorite trader who submitted the entry after purchasing the specimen last year in Mauritiana from a meteorite hunter he said wanted anonymity after finding the pieces in neighbouring Mali. He believes it was seven pieces, but said he gave the smallest piece, weighing a few dozen grams, to the University of New Mexico's Institute of Meteoritics for testing. Notkin and RR Auction did not immediately respond to questions about the discrepancy. In 2007, one of the largest lunar meteorites ever found was discovered in Morocco, a single lump weighing 25 pounds (11.5 kg.)

Largest moon rock ever put up for auction

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