A chunk of the moon that fell to Earth as a lunar meteorite has fetched more than $600,000 (£458,997) at auction.
The 5.5kg (12lb) lump, affectionately known as The Moon Puzzle, is comprised of six fragments that fit together.
RR Auction in Boston, Massachusetts, announced on Friday that the set had sold for $612,500 (£468,559).
The winning bid came from a representative working with the Tam Chuc Pagoda complex in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam.
RR Auctions had predicted it would sell for around $500,000 (£382,497).
The meteorite, which fell roughly 250,000 miles to Earth, was found in a remote area of Mauritania in northwest Africa in 2017.
It is thought to be one of the most significant lunar meteorites ever found because of its large size.
The piece also has "partial fusion crust" caused by the tremendous heat that would have seared the rock as it fell.
RR Auctions states on its website that the meteorite is classified as NWA 11789, and is unofficially known as "Buagaba".
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The auction house says the rock was likely blasted off the surface of our moon by a different meteorite.
Earlier in 2018, scientists confirmed that water exists in the darkest and coldest parts of the moon's poles.
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