Norman Mailer, Marc Newson. MoonFire, Lunar Rock Edition No. 1,967 ‘NWA 5153’

“MoonFire is the greatest book I have ever seen. The photography is unparalleled, it is more than just a book, it is an experience.” —David Schonauer, American Photo, New York

Limited to just 12 copies, numbered 1,958–1,969, the Lunar Rock Edition of Norman Mailer’s MoonFire is designed by Marc Newson. His concept was inspired by the Apollo 11 LEM (Lunar Excursion Module). Each book is contained in a case made from a single piece of aluminum—its surface an actual 3-D topography of the Moon—and comes with a unique piece of lunar rock.

Meteorites from the Moon are exceptionally rare. There are fewer than 100 lunar meteorites known with a total combined weight of approximately 725 kilograms, making them millions of times rarer than gem grade diamonds. However, most lunar meteorites reside in museum collections and research institutions, leaving only 150 kilograms or so available to individual collectors worldwide. Since acquiring an Apollo moon rock is virtually impossible, the only realistic way to own a piece of the moon is by acquiring a lunar meteorite.

NWA 5153
Type: Basalt-Bearing Mingled Feldspathic Breccia
Discovery site: North West African corridor
near the Moroccan / Algerian border
Size: 38 x 27 x 23 mm
Weight: 41.88 grams

A rare main mass of a lunar meteorite, this specimen features numerous lunar signatures: It’s a fragmental meltmatrix breccia that contains an assortment of lunar highland lithologies in addition to Mare basalts and glasses. Highland components include cataclastic gabbro and troctolite. Mare components includes ophitic pigeonite and olivine basalts. The specimen is extremely fresh and solid. The cut face of this meteorite exhibits a character of the finest brecciated Moon rocks. Several large anorthositic inclusions are also readily observed on both the obverse and reverse. This specimen is from the Macovich Collection of Meteorites—one of the most acclaimed private meteorite collections in the world. The Smithsonian, The Academy of Sciences in Moscow, The Natural History Museum (London), the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris) and the American Museum of Natural History (New York) all have specimens with a Macovich provenance.