US gave fake 'moon rock' to Dutch museum
Posted Sat 29 Aug 2009 at 5:49amSaturday 29 Aug 2009 at 5:49am
Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article
Link copied
A treasured piece of moon rock showcased in a key Amsterdam museum is nothing but petrified wood, museum authorities said of a gift made to a former Dutch prime minister by a US envoy.
The exhibit at the Rijksmuseum, was originally gifted to Willem Drees in 1969 by then US ambassador William Middendorf as a souvenir of a pathbreaking trip by three US astronauts on July 20, 1969.
"When we received it, we insured it for 100,000 florins or 50,000 euros [$85,000] in today's money," said Xandra van Gelder, the editor-in-chief of the museum's internal magazine.
But she said that it was "hardly worth 50 euros," adding that museum authorities had been alerted by space and other experts.
This was confirmed by independent studies on the object, which is roughly the size of a matchbox.
"What is also strange is that in 1969, when Willem Drees was given this 'rock,' it was 11 years after he had stepped down as prime minister."
The US space agency NASA gifted pieces of the alleged moon rock to several countries.
The Rijksmusuem, one of the world's top museums, is better known for its vast collection of paintings by Rembrandt.
-
AFP
'Moon rock' given to Holland by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin is fake
A moon rock given to the Dutch prime minister by Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969 has turned out to be a fake.
29 August 2009 • 12:12am
A piece of moon rock was given during a goodwill tour by the three apollo 11 astronauts. Credit: Photo: Getty Images
Curators at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, where the rock has attracted tens of thousands of visitors each year, discovered that the "lunar rock", valued at £308,000, was in fact petrified wood.
Xandra van Gelder, who oversaw the investigation, said the museum would continue to keep the stone as a curiosity.
"It's a good story, with some questions that are still unanswered," she said. "We can laugh about it."
The rock was given to Willem Drees, a former Dutch leader, during a global tour by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin following their moon mission 50 years ago.
J. William Middendorf, the former American ambassador to the Netherlands, made the presentation to Mr Drees and the rock was then donated to the Rijksmuseum after his death in 1988.
"I do remember that Drees was very interested in the little piece of stone. But that it's not real, I don't know anything about that," Mr Middendorf said.
Nasa gave moon rocks to more than 100 countries following lunar missions in 1969 and the 1970s.
The United States Embassy in The Hague is carrying out an investigation into the affair.
Researchers Amsterdam's Free University were able to tell at a glance that the rock was unlikely to be from the moon, a conclusion that was borne out by tests.
"It's a nondescript, pretty-much-worthless stone," said Frank Beunk, a geologist involved in the investigation.