North Carolina lunar sample displays facts for kids
The North Carolina lunar sample displays are special gifts from the Moon! They are small pieces of Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions. In the 1970s, U.S. President Richard Nixon gave these gifts to the people of North Carolina. They were meant as symbols of friendship and peace.
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What Are These Moon Rock Displays?
The Apollo 11 Moon Rock Display
The Apollo 11 Moon rock display for North Carolina is a special plaque. It holds four tiny "Moon rocks," each about the size of a grain of rice. These rocks were collected by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.
The display also includes a small North Carolina state flag. This flag actually traveled to the Moon and back with the Apollo 11 crew! The four tiny Moon rocks weigh very little, about 0.05 grams in total. They are sealed inside a clear plastic button, like a coin. This button is attached to a wooden plaque, which is about one foot square. The plaque sits on a small stand.
President Richard Nixon gave this display to North Carolina as a gift. Similar Moon rock displays were also given to all other U.S. states and many countries around the world. Today, this display is part of the collection at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. However, it is not currently on public display.
The Apollo 15 Moon Rock
A different Moon rock, collected during the Apollo 15 mission, is on display in Durham. This rock is very old, about 3.9 billion years old! Astronaut David Scott collected it on August 1, 1971.
You can see this Moon rock at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. It is near a full-size model of the Lunar Module. The rock is protected inside a pyramid-shaped clear case.
The Apollo 17 Moon Rock Display
The Apollo 17 Moon rock display for North Carolina is a plaque measuring about 10 by 14 inches. It features one "Moon rock" particle. This piece was cut from a larger Moon rock called basalt 70017.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collected the basalt 70017 on the Moon in 1972. Once it was brought back to Earth, the rock was cut into small pieces, each weighing about 1 gram. This piece is sealed in a plastic ball. It is mounted on the wooden plaque along with a North Carolina state flag. This flag also traveled to the Moon and back with the Apollo 17 crew.
President Richard Nixon gave this plaque to North Carolina in 1973. He gave similar gifts to all 50 states. These gifts were meant to promote peace and friendship.
History of the Lost and Found Moon Rock
The Apollo 17 "goodwill Moon rock" display given to North Carolina in 1973 was lost for many years. It was found by accident in 2003! Someone discovered it in a desk drawer at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The department had kept the display in unknown places for about 30 years.
When it was found, the clear plastic ball with the Moon rock was detached from the plaque. A new employee found it and shared it with Christopher Brown. Mr. Brown is a professor at North Carolina State University. He is also the director of the North Carolina Space Grant.
Professor Brown borrowed the display and showed it to hundreds of students between 2003 and 2010. In 2010, he gave both the plaque and the Moon rock to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Now, it is on public display in the museum's new wing. The Apollo 11 lunar sample display was already there.
