Moon memorabilia go under the hammer
Apollo artefacts auctioned in New York included a star chart used by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and a lunar checklist from Apollo 16 containing cheeky cartoons Artefacts from the history of space exploration went under the hammer yesterday at an auction in New York. Auctioneers Bonhams presented nearly 400 lots, including many that were used on the surface of the moon. The auction coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, with over 50 items from that mission on sale. These included the star chart used by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to determine their position on the lunar surface, which went for $218,000. The chart comprises two rotating plastic discs 9 inches across, and a velcro patch on the back containing traces of lunar dust. In a letter accompanying the chart, Aldrin called it "the single most critical navigational device...
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