DALLAS, TX.- People across several states are gearing up for a solar eclipse in early April, an event in which the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth, creating a shadow over the fiery orb and darkening the sky, as if it is dawn or dusk.

Barring cloud cover, it should be viewable April 8 from anywhere in North America, but most places will experience only a partial blackout of the sun. The “path of totality,” in which the moon is positioned so perfectly that it blocks out the entire sun, will cut a swath from Mexico into Texas, throughout parts of the Midwest and into New England and parts of eastern Canada.

A handful of solar eclipses actually occur each year ... but the majority take place over water. So while the actual circumstance is not exactly rare, opportunities for people to view them are. They repeat in the same location once every 366 years; the next opportunity to see one from anywhere in contiguous United States will be in 2044.

While people across the continent will have their heads in the clouds, as they watch in wonder while the moon interrupts the daily cycle of light that is universally taken for granted, collectors will have the opportunity to acquire a piece of the moon itself, when an NWA 13119 Lunar Meteorite End Cut touches down April 24 in Heritage’s Nature & Science Signature® Auction.

“The significance of lunar meteorites can not be overstated,” says Craig Kissick, Vice President of Nature and Science at Heritage Auctions. “The moon has captured people’s imaginations since the first time we looked up into the night sky. It is a source of wonderment and light, and fueled the curiosity that led to the evolution of human space exploration. The eclipse coming up April 8 has only revived that curiosity.

“Remember, lunar meteorites are exceptionally rare — the total amount of all lunar material on Earth is only several hundred pounds. Those that were picked up by astronauts can not be privately owned — they are administered by NASA. The ones that can be privately held had to break off the lunar surface as a result of an impact with an asteroid. At that point, it flies through space, and with any luck, heads toward the Earth ... and of those that enter our atmosphere, the majority end up landing in — and disappearing into — the ocean. So examples that land on the ground, and are found and can be acquired, are exceedingly rare. The one offered here is a beautiful example.”

The end cut offered in this auction is exceptionally thick — it weighs a massive 1.03 kilograms, or 2.27 pounds — and aesthetically appealing. It is a classic sample, exhibiting attributes of feldspathic breccia composition, with one side left in its rough, natural form, the other a sliced and polished display side that exhibits the grayish-white clasts within.

This out-of-this-world example is undeniably magnificent, but far from the only treasure to touch down in this auction.

An Allende Meteorite Slice from Chihuahua, Mexico that can be traced back to the origin of the Solar System is from arguably the best-studied of all meteorites. Allende is a Carbonaceous Chondrite, and is the largest of the variety ever found on Earth.

“Allende was a witnessed fall,” says Kissick. “It includes Calcium-Aluminum Inclusions (CAIs), which are among the oldest rocks in the Solar System, so an Allende sample is basically the oldest rock any human being could ever hold.”

This event includes a second meteorite that is older than the Earth: an Aba Panu Meteorite End Cut from Oyo, Nigeria. This extraordinary chondrite, from a witnessed fall in April 2018, is one of only seven of the L3 variety in all of meteorite history. It includes a beautiful polished window display face, with an intense conglomeration of clasts of various sizes and colors in a pleasing green-gray matrix. Weighing an impressive 876 grams, the extremely thick, rocky mass measures almost 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) across.

A magnificent Campo del Cielo Meteorite iron, from Chaco, Argentina, is as grand in appearance as it is in its sheer size (it weighs in at 21 kilograms, or 46 pounds). This museum-quality trophy is completely covered in superb regmaglypts, and virtually perfect in color, texture and shape.

The auction even includes a piece of Mars — specifically, an NWA 13227 Martian Meteorite Slice that was found in Morocco. It offers a greenish hue that is consistent with gabbroic composition containing Olivine ... so yes, the so-called “Red Planet” actually contains a significant amount of green. Only about 300 Martian meteorites have made their way to Earth, and not much from this one has been found.

The auction also includes a wonderous array of gemstones, including a dazzling 9.15-carat unmounted Emerald. Treasured for centuries for their magnificent color, emeralds historically have been known to symbolize opulence, rarity and prestige. This emerald-cut beauty from mineral-rich Zambia exhibits trademark shape and excellent brilliance, cut, polish and luster.

A Virgin Valley Opal, from Humboldt County, Nevada, is an impressive 108-gram fossilized section of antient tree lim-turned-Precious Opal, and showcases an exceptional display of spectral colors with a striking linear broad flash pattern. This standout boasts 360-degree neon play-of-color and remnant “bark” sections — a nod to the history of this spectacular specimen. Kept in water to prevent further crazing, the glass jar also magnifies this Opal’s exquisite details, offering a glimpse into its complex beauty.

An octagonal 7.95-carat Rhodolite Garnet from Sri Lanka is an octagonal beauty with step-cut faceting and vivid purple-red coloring. Garnets are highly sought-after by collectors and jewelers for their durability and color; this magnificent example stands out through its excellent brilliance, symmetrical cut and excellent polish.

When considering whether to bite on an incredible Megalodon Shark Tooth in this auction, keep in mind that it measures 5.3 inches (13.5 centimeters) on the edge. The significance of that measurement comes into sharp focus when compared to the teeth of the great white sharks that roam the oceans today — their teeth generally reach no more than two inches. The near-pristine example offered here comes from the Morgan Creek locality in South Carolina, and features beautiful bluish-grey color, razor-like serrations and ideal balance.

A Fossil Water Beetle, from the Solnhofen Limestone in Eichstatt, Germany, is an extremely important lagerstätte and one of the several iconic and significant localities of the region: the Bavarian deposits that produced this water beetle, dating to the Upper Jurassic, of the Mesobelostomum deperditum variety. It measures 2 inches (5 centimeters) long and resides in a classic tan brick matrix of yellowish-tan rock.