The case of the piece of moon that went missing
Strange individuals appear daily in the dock, but the defendant in a case in Florida must be one of the oddest yet: a thimble-sized piece of moon rock weighing 1.142 grams.
The case - known for technical reasons as United States v. Lucite ball containing lunar material - is about the ownership of the rock, transported from the moon on board Apollo 17 in 1972, then given by President Richard Nixon to the government of Honduras as a goodwill gesture.
It has since found its way into the hands of Alan Rosen, a Florida businessman, who says he offered a retired Honduran colonel $50,000 and a truck for the rock, but eventually paid less. When US investigators set up a sting in 1998, placing want ads for moon rock, he offered his for $5m.
The US government argues that the rock's journey back to America was illegal, and Honduras says it must return home. It is now being held prisoner. No criminal charges have been brought against Mr Rosen.
The case - known for technical reasons as United States v. Lucite ball containing lunar material - is about the ownership of the rock, transported from the moon on board Apollo 17 in 1972, then given by President Richard Nixon to the government of Honduras as a goodwill gesture.
It has since found its way into the hands of Alan Rosen, a Florida businessman, who says he offered a retired Honduran colonel $50,000 and a truck for the rock, but eventually paid less. When US investigators set up a sting in 1998, placing want ads for moon rock, he offered his for $5m.
The US government argues that the rock's journey back to America was illegal, and Honduras says it must return home. It is now being held prisoner. No criminal charges have been brought against Mr Rosen.
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