Since childhood, we have listened to stories about the stars, the Moon, and humankind’s daring journeys beyond Earth. But, in Canberra, those childhood tales take on a real, tangible form. At Geoscience
Australia, visitors can not only see but also touch a piece of the Moon—a rare opportunity available at only a handful of places in the world.
The lunar touchstone on display is a basalt rock collected during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972, the last of the Apollo lunar landings. What makes it even more remarkable is that it is the only touchable Moon rock in the Southern Hemisphere and one of just 11 worldwide.
Walking into Geoscience’s foyer, large posters reading ‘Touch the Moon’ set the stage for what is to come. Inside a secure glass display rests a jet-black fragment of lunar basalt, estimated to be 3.5 billion years old. To touch it is to momentarily connect with both the mysteries of the universe and the legacy of human exploration.
Dr Verity Normington, Director, Strategic Science in the Office of the Chief Scientist at Geoscience Australia, told News18: “This lunar touchstone has been on public display since July 5, 2019. It was placed here on long-term loan from NASA to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The lunar touchstone is the only piece of the Moon in the Southern Hemisphere that visitors can touch—and one of just eleven in the world.”
She also explained that the exhibit is open to everyone. “The lunar rock is displayed in Geoscience Australia’s foyer, open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. While it’s not used in current research, it holds immense value by inspiring the next generation of scientists to think about the world and the universe around them.”
For visitors, the experience is deeply personal. Many line up to touch the stone, pausing to take photographs and reflect on its journey. Some come for science, others for curiosity, but all leave with a shared sense of wonder.
The rock may sit quietly behind glass, but it carries the story of space exploration and human ambition. For a fleeting moment, as your fingertips meet its ancient surface, the Moon no longer feels like a distant dream—it feels close enough to touch.
