Museum to display moon rock from US

A MOON rock, collected and donated by the US government, will be publicly displayed at the National Museum on Monday.

National Museum Director Kong Virak said the moon rock, which is the size of an upper thumb, was given to Cambodia in 1973 by the US as a goodwill gesture. The rock was collected during the Apollo 17 mission and such rocks have been shared with many countries.

“The National Museum turns 100 years old in 2020. We will display the rock as part of our plan to celebrate the occasion. We don’t know how long we will display it as this depends on space. Maybe it will only be for six months.

“We want youths to know about the astronauts and the Apollo 17 mission,” he said, adding that it will help attract younger people who may be uninterested in going to museums.

According to a US Embassy press release on Friday, the moon rock was collected on the Apollo 17th mission in December 1972.

“The display will be part of an upcoming centenary anniversary at the National Museum where it will highlight different aspects of its collection,” the embassy release read.

“This will be the first time the moon rock will be displayed with a detailed explanation and background.”

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