RARE 5-KG MOON ROCK AUCTIONED FOR OVER $600,000

BOSTON: An extremely rare

lunar meteorite -- comprised of six fragments that fit together

like a puzzle -- has been sold for USD 612,500, according to Us-based RR Auction.

The meteorite is classified as NWA 11789, lunar feldspathic breccia, unofficially known as 'Buagaba' or 'The Moon Puzzle.'

Discovered last year, it was blasted off the surface of the Moon in the distant past,

likely by the impact of a different meteorite.

It then journeyed the quarter-million miles to Earth and -- against all odds -- survived a fiery descent through the atmosphere to be found in the deserts of Northwest Africa.

It is comprised of six fragments that fit together, puzzlelike, to form a mass weighing very nearly 5.5 kg. With partial fusion crust visible on one side, it is a brand new classification and the largest known, complete lunar puzzle.

According to RR Auction, it is one of the most important meteorites available for acquisition anywhere in the world today and, perhaps, the most significant example of our nearest celestial neighbour ever offered for sale in the history of meteorite science.

"The winning bid came from a representative working with the Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex, located in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam," representatives at RR Auction said in a statement. "We are extremely happy and thrilled that this magnificent lunar meteorite will be proudly displayed at this beautiful facility -- and this "Moon Puzzle" will certainly inspire students of science for generations to come," they said.

When meteorites are discovered in remote areas of the Northwest African deserts, far from settlement or known geographic features, they are frequently given this type of numerical designation by academia. Sometimes, nomads or meteorite hunters find additional examples of an existing NWA meteorite at a later date.