Big Bertha (lunar sample)

At 8.998 kg (19.84 lb), this breccia rock is the third largest Moon sample returned during the Apollo program, behind Big Muley and Great Scott.

[3] In January 2019, research showed that a fragment (clast) embedded in Big Bertha has numerous characteristics that make it very likely to be a terrestrial (Earth) meteorite.

Granite and quartz, which are commonly found on Earth but very rare to find on the Moon, were confirmed to exist in this fragment.

To find the sample's age, the research team from Curtin University looked at bits of the mineral zircon embedded in its structure.

[4][5] If the rock is indeed terrestrial, lunar geologist David Kring said that it can provide valuable information about the Hadean eon.

Big Bertha in the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility . Within this rock is an Earth meteorite (lunar sample 14321,1027) that is 4 billion years old.
Big Bertha on the lunar surface prior to collection. It is above the exact center of the photo and lies between the wheel tracks made by the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET) or rickshaw-type portable workbench.
Apollo 14 astronauts Edgar Mitchell and Alan Shepard examine Big Bertha during a news conference at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory , Johnson Space Center.