Moon Rocks You Can Legally Own Are Going Up for Auction

Did you know you can’t legally own moon rocks NASA has collected? Those are considered a National Treasure and ownership defaults to the United States. That’s what makes this Sotheby’s auction so rare. This November one lucky bidder will have the chance to stake claim to three small moon rocks, legally. You see, these pebbles were acquired by Luna 16, a Soviet probe, and presented as a gift to Nina Ivanovna Koroleva, the widow of Sergei Pavolvich Korolev, the man who was the space director the Russian space program. Since that gifting turned the rocks into personal property, they can remain that way and cross the auction block, which is precisely what’s happening. If you drop the $1,000,000+ the moon rocks are expected to fetch, you’ll receive them in a metal case that includes a magnifying glass so you can gaze at something no one else on Earth owns.