Discovering moon rocks in Illinois
continued from page 3

and Collection Center, confirming the museum has in its collection both Apollo 11 and 17 official state moon rocks, though neither were then on display for the public to see. However we learned that, as of this week, following our inquiry, the moon rocks are now proudly displayed in the museum’s lobby. So Illinois State Museum is the exception to the rule, and may stand alone in doing justice to its official moon rock gifts received from President Nixon and from NASA.

Each rock, encased in a Lucite ball, is mounted to a plaque with the intended recipient’s flag, also flown to the moon or into space. The Apollo 11 and 17 missions are the first and last time man walked on the moon. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. As someone who has hunted down these rare treasures with mixed results, I want to thank the state of Illinois for doing justice to its unique pieces of history, and encourage all citizens to go to the state museum and view them.

Lisa Moore of Bernie, Mo., graduated from University of Phoenix in September 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and is currently working on a master’s in administration of justice and security.