Tellus' Moon Rock Now on Display in Cartersville

Tellus Science Museum recently opened its newest permanent exhibit, a Moon rock on permanent loan from NASA. It's only the second lunar sample on exhibit in Georgia and the only one on daily display to the public, according to a press release. 

The rock is exhibited in the museum’s Science in Motion gallery, along with other space artifacts.

It weighs 4 ounces and is composed of basalt, a volcanic rock. It has been dated to 3.3 billion years old. 

The rock is permanently mounted inside a triangular container filled with nitrogen to keep it from oxidizing in our atmosphere. 

It is a piece taken from the second largest rock collected on the Moon, picked up by Apollo 15 commander Dave Scott during the Apollo 15 mission from July to August in 1971.

In addition to the Moon Rock, the exhibit consists of artifacts from the Apollo space program on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, including a rocket engine built for the upper stage of the Lunar Module and a hammer and specimen container used by astronauts during training for their lunar missions. 

Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and the artifacts were acquired through the affiliations program.

The 120,000-square-foot science facility also features mineral, dinosaurs, aviation and space, hands-on science, and astronomy. It's open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but closed on major holidays.

Tell us in the comments below where you'll be on the parade route, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care about—subscribe to Cartersville Patch's newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

You also should read:

• Look: Biggest Moon Rock in Georgia Lands at Tellus