Laayoune 002 Lunar Meteorite Individual, Feldspathic Breccia, 316.21g, Domed Moon Rock

A complete 316.21g Laâyoune 002 lunar individual with a shield-shaped dome

This is a complete individual of Laâyoune 002, a lunar meteorite classified as a feldspathic breccia and recovered in Western Sahara in 2022. The stone weighs 316.21 grams and has not been cut, polished or broken since its discovery, so it keeps its full natural exterior. Its shape is what sets it apart: one side rises into a broad, smoothly rounded dome, giving the whole stone a shield-like profile, while the reverse is irregular and sculpted by long exposure in the desert. Feldspathic breccias come from the pale, heavily cratered lunar highlands, some of the oldest crust in the inner solar system.

A shield-shaped lunar individual of this size is exceptionally uncommon. We have not handled or seen offered another complete lunar stone of comparable weight with a domed, shield-like form like this one, and we would place it among the most distinctive lunar specimens we have offered. At 316.21 grams it is also the largest Laâyoune 002 individual we have listed, well above our 193.73 gram stone. The photographs and video show the specimen offered.

Structure and features

The domed face carries a gray, finely granular surface studded with whitish clasts, the clast-in-matrix texture that forms when impacts shatter and reassemble crustal rock on the Moon. The rounded profile is best seen in the video, where the stone is turned through its full outline.

The reverse side is rougher and more irregular, with knobby, wind-smoothed relief and patches of brown and blue-gray tones from terrestrial weathering. As with all recorded Laâyoune 002 material, the stone has no fusion crust. Its smooth dome is a natural shape rather than a sign of flight orientation, which can only be confirmed from fusion crust features that this meteorite does not retain.

The Meteoritical Bulletin describes Laâyoune 002 as a breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, orthopyroxene, pigeonite and augite, with accessory ilmenite and chromite and minor secondary barite. It records a shock stage of low and a weathering grade of low.

Discovery and provenance

Laâyoune 002 was found in January 2022 near Laayoune, in the Saguia el Hamra region of Western Sahara, and was purchased from the finder by Aziz Habibi. The recovered material lacks fusion crust and shows a gray color with whitish clasts visible throughout. The meteorite was classified by A. Irving and P. Carpenter and published in the Meteoritical Bulletin, MB 111 (2023). The type specimen, a 20.7 gram polished endcut, is held in an institutional collection, with the main mass retained by A. Habibi.

Scientific context

Feldspathic breccias sample the lunar highlands, the light, anorthositic crust that covers most of the Moon. The anorthite in Laâyoune 002 is highly calcic, measured at An96.1 to An97.7, the composition expected of lunar highland feldspar. The Bulletin also reports olivine of Fa46.3 to 46.7 with FeO/MnO of 94 to 98, orthopyroxene Fs33.5Wo3.8, pigeonite Fs36.9 to 45.1Wo6.5 to 8.4 and augite Fs19.1 to 20.9Wo39.1 to 39.7. FeO/MnO ratios like these are one of the standard tests that separate lunar material from other achondrites.

By recorded total known weight, Laâyoune 002 ranks among the larger lunar meteorites in the Bulletin database; our ranking of the largest lunar meteorites sets out the figures and how they were compiled.

Frequently asked questions

How is a meteorite confirmed to be lunar?
Through mineral chemistry, petrography and isotopic study, reviewed and published by the Meteoritical Society. Laâyoune 002 was classified by A. Irving and P. Carpenter and published in Meteoritical Bulletin 111 as Lunar (feldsp. breccia).

Is this stone oriented?
Its domed, shield-like shape is real, but orientation can only be confirmed from fusion crust features such as flow lines, a rollover lip or a thickened trailing side. Laâyoune 002 is recorded without fusion crust, so we describe the shape and do not claim flight orientation.

What is a complete individual?
A meteorite kept whole as recovered, without cutting, polishing or breaking. This 316.21 gram stone has not been altered since discovery, so it can be studied and displayed as a single natural object.

Why is the name spelled with a circumflex?
The official name is Laâyoune 002. Plain spellings such as Laayoune 002 refer to the same meteorite.

How should it be stored and handled?
Handle with clean gloves and keep it dry. As a desert find it is best kept away from humidity.

Is white glove delivery available?
Yes. As a premium specimen, this stone qualifies for our white glove service, a fully insured, personal delivery made directly to you at approved destinations. It is arranged on request before fulfillment, so contact us with your delivery location.

How do I verify this is the stone in the photographs?
This stone is recorded under serial TC-00044. Its specimen record holds the Bulletin data, the recorded weight and photographs of this exact stone, which can be compared against the specimen in hand. Offered by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., IMCA Member #3323.

Collector significance

This is a specimen that combines three things seldom found together: lunar origin, a complete uncut stone of substantial weight, and a clean, shield-shaped dome. For scale, the median lunar meteorite in the Meteoritical Bulletin database has a recorded total mass of 229 grams for the entire meteorite (as of August 2026, from our lunar ranking); this single stone weighs 316.21 grams on its own. Most Laâyoune 002 on the market has also been cut into slices and end cuts, so a complete individual of this size is a different class of object. Add the shape, and we are not aware of another lunar stone currently offered that compares. Lunar meteorites are a small share of all classified meteorites, and privately owned lunar material differs from restricted Apollo samples, as explained in can you legally buy a moon rock. This specimen is part of our premium specimens and qualifies for our white glove service: fully insured, personal delivery directly into your hands at approved domestic and international destinations, arranged on request.

Classification and provenance follow the official Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Laâyoune 002, viewable at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.

Specimen record

This specimen is serialized as TC-00044 and is issued with a certificate card bearing that serial. The serial indexes a permanent public record maintained by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., and every issued serial is listed in the Specimen Registry.