Moon rock found among Bill Clinton's stuff
Only 843 pounds of moon rocks exist on Earth, according to NASA.
Now, 30 years after it went missing, one of those precious rocks has been found among memorabilia belonging to former President Bill Clinton.
A worker found it Wednesday morning, quite by accident, inside one of thousands of nondescript boxes in an Arkansas library.
"It's a bit of a mystery solved," said Bobby Roberts of Little Rock's Central Arkansas Library System. "It's kind of like, 'where'd I leave my wallet?' "
The moon rock is one of 50 so-called Goodwill Moon Rocks brought back aboard Apollo 17 and presented to each of the states. They're unique because they're among the only NASA moon rocks ever given as gifts, says NASA's Louis Parker.
Another 50 rocks from the first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11, were also given to the states. One of those is now on display at the Arkansas Museum of Discovery, Roberts said.
A worker cataloging materials from the Clinton governorship was in the middle of going through nearly 2,000 boxes of archived documents when he stumbled upon the priceless artifact.
"He didn't know what it was until he opened the box, because the catalog for the box listed the contents as a plaque. But it made no mention of the moon rock," Roberts said with a laugh.
It's about as "big as the end of your thumb."
Roberts said it was presented to the state in 1976, when Clinton's predecessor David Pryor was governor. Clinton won his gubernatorial election in 1978.
"We're always interested when one of these comes along," said Parker, who recalled that Colorado Gov. John Vanderhoof actually brought one of the moon rocks home with him. Vanderhoof later returned it to the state.
Clinton's staff has been informed, and Roberts said they were "very excited" to hear the news.
No word on how the rock ended up among the Clinton memorabilia.
"It just got packed up, and it's just been sitting there," said Roberts.
Now, the rock is stored in a library safe, Roberts said. "But it needs to be in a museum."
CNN's Chandler Friedman contributed to this report.
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I don't know much about this, but the article says these moon rocks were used as gifts. Perhaps someone gave it to him as a gift? And, if that's the case, why would it HAVE to be placed on public display?
Verner Von Braun collected these from Antartica, we've never been to the moon!
the thing i want to know is where all the funding for the staged project went...
How can "they" be unique? They are very special but they are not unique, because there's more than one of them.
ya, isnt there like an enormous one that we see in the sky just about every night?
Bill Clinton 'Moons the Nation by signing NAFTA_WTO' .. now .. a sticky fingers Encore...
of Course .. ' He Did Not Steal That Moon Rock ' .. sure.
According the planet sun article, the moon rocks chemical composition should be the same as on earth.
who cares?
Well, its kind of a cool paperweight... and at the same time, its kind of a slap in the face that its not in his library...
NASA is on record this week saying it is illegal for anyone but that agency to possess part of the satellite that crashed to earth. Given that position about possessing NASA property, does NASA plan to bring receiving stolen property charges against the former president?
betcha it landed in Minnesota.... near some place starting with a K... probably ended up in a lake... *shrug
Maybe the republicans can spend another 200 million to find out if Clinton fondled it
Sandy Burglar, er, Berger, Clinton's National Security Adviser, said the rock accidentally fell down his pants along with hundreds of documents from the National Archives.
It makes you wonder what else was stolen during the Clinton Administration...
Probably the Starship finally lets Colonize the Milky Way -Prepare for the Singularity in approx, 2045! -Futurist Ray Kurtzweil.
Legalize Marijuana!
I Smell what you are Thinking like a Dog.
IF THEY COULD FIND SOME BALLS THAT WERE LOST IN DC, that would be a bigger story.
hahaha, i hope some politician saw that!
Joe: re: sattelite crash & teaparty. you made my day with that one. lol! 🙂
Clinton probably knocked it into a box when Monica came over. You know, that old ditty.
Hey there little lady. Wanna see something really special?
If you think the President was stealing this. Then explain how it was found in an Arkansas library with 2000 other boxes. Anyone who thinks this is about stealing is a complete idiot.
Give it back to Bill Clinton.!!!!!!
it's amazing how perfectly round the outer part of that moon rock is 😉
Thats the rock that was stolen. Bill Clinton should be jailed for possession of stolen property
and your tongue should be cutted off for talking trash..
its not trash, its truth, learn ur facts and get it right hot stuff!! also that was rude.
Those were collected by Dr. Werner Van Braun when he made a trip to Antartica two years before the Apollo 11 Moon Hoax. We have never been to the moon!
Clearly Obama's October surprise in case Hillary mounted a primary challenge.
Why don't we conduct an international mission to Mars, via our moon?
This isn’t economically feasible now, given the condition of our (U.S.) economy, but perhaps we could engage in a joint venture with other countries, and pool our limited funds and resources.
Perhaps we should also engage in a joint effort to remediate the economic crisis, which is devastating the economies of the world.
Let's be honest, there's no telling what we could do, if we work together, rather than wasting our resources by working against each other.
I also suggest that we identify and hold accountable those who are responsible for the current economic crisis, regardless of how wealthy, powerful, or politically well-connected they are.
How is it that we’re not holding these individuals accountable now?
Bernie Madoff was interview recently, and he was asked what he’d do to fix the economy, and he said, “I don’t know.”
Bernie also said that he can’t believe that no one else has gone to prison.
I think Bernie makes a good point.
Why aren't we holding these individuals accoutable?
....I wanna ROCK with you, all night......dance you into day sunlight........
Have you heard the breaking news? The falling satellite just fell to earth and it landed on the Tea party.
numbskull
Hmm, does this housecleaning mean that Hillary is going to run against Obama in 2012?
Tell us about how your staff TRASHED the White House when you left office, Bill. You know it's true. YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE.
Tell us about how they tipped fax machines over onto the floor, broke other machines, tipped trash cans onto the desk tops, stuffed garbage into the toilets and flushed until they ran over.
Talk about some SORE LOSERS – tell us about the condition you left the White House in.
Go on – tell us.
Bill Clinton never lost the election in 2001... he served both his terms (maximum... remember?) Why would he be a sore loser if he wasn't running in the election?
so you are saying Al Gore stole the moon rock? cause he lost the election, hence through your logic Al trashed the white house (and he was a frequent guest .....)
@ james,
I made no claims of logic, I just pointed out a historical fact that SophieCat missed in her(?) statement. Are YOU saying that Al Gore trashed the White House? It's a pretty serious accusation... you could face libel charges... just saying.
it is still illegal for private citizens to possess moon rocks... just a few months ago a woman was arrested for having one and trying to sell it on ebay... the Clintons have a bad reputation of taking things from their 'borrowed' homes. like gifts from countries while president. Whitehouse furniture in the move – and that mysterious 'W' keyboard key fiasco when the Clinton Staff left Washington in 2001
They did worse than that. They did MUCH WORSE than that, and it's well-known in certain Washington circles. They trashed the White House.
Dems/libtards aren't exactly noted for their mature behavior.
NOOO!!! THEY TRIES TO TAKE THE PRECIOUS!!!
File them with the Cuban cigars that he made famous.Put Nixons Watergate tools there too and show that politics govern who loses their job and who does not.
You fools! You've summoned Megatron!
How did this rock get there? I thought Clinton got all of his rocks off in the oval office during his term?
Who knew that Bill Clinton was the Indiana Jones of Ex-Presidents? "That belongs in a museum" If you don't know that movie quote or have never seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade I feel almost as sorry for you as I do for the people who are blaming Bill Clinton for stealing this moon rock.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'Sex on the moon', doesn't it?
Not the first time Clinton's rocks have been found in a strange place . . .
You mean it's not the first time Bill Clinton's "rocks" have been found in a strange "box"
well he and hillary also tried to steal the white house furnishings on their way out, is this really a surprise to anyone?
GOP appointing Kenneth Starr as special prosecutor to investigate disappearance of moon rock during Clinton gubernatorial term. Describing them as "little leeches" 'baggers will cut vaccination and milk subsidies to underprivileged American children and award Starr a budget of $33 million to waste on hounding Clinton about nothing. House will convene and vote immediately and pressure senate republicans to act within the day on this "most pressing matter of utmost importance, critical to and prioritized above any matter facing the United States today, except of course whether or not to vote on whether every 3rd Thursday of April in even years should be 'Wear a Beanie To Work Day'". Republicans are fighting hard to attach a "Stop The Recovery" rider that will award Wall Street millionaires a mandatory bonus of $500,000 for every million dollars they are able to flush down the toilet in the 2012 fiscal year, or for every 5000 jobs they are able to successfully offshore.
How can it be from the MOON if we can't even send people into space? A ridiculous myth only the weak-minded believe in. People flying above the earth in their sky chariots. Yeah, right. I'll tell you where they got this rock... the parking lot out back. And they disturbed the natural environment and ecosystem when they took it.
It was a vast right wing conspiracy to make Clinton look foolish!
Good guy, I would have stolen it.
They act like misplacing this moon rock was the criminal act of the century. Bush increased military contractors by 240 Billion a year. I like Clinton and his surplus a LOT BETTER!
That explains the old Arkansas pick-up line: "Hey,Baby, wanna see my Moon Rock?"
shudnt moon rock b plural? cuz if thts a popular saying than the dude out in arkansas hav some serious problems....
At least he didn't give it to Monica
Who cares about Bill Clinton? Return the Rock to the Smithsonian where it belongs. Clinton was a liar, Hillary is still a liar, and Obama doesn't know his keister from a hole in the ground. Is that plain enough for all of the libtard trolls on this website?
WHOO!!! Rocks! 😀 YEAH!
Its a rock people
It was in the box with the cigars
"Now, the rock is stored in a library safe, Roberts said. "But it needs to be in a museum."
Am I the only one that heard Indiana Jones saying this?
talk about getttin your rocks off!
If Bill hadn't taken it, it would be in Lil Georgie's Texas booty shack now. If I were the prez I would have taken it too. But I wouldn't have gone to "Apollo 18".
THE ROCK IS IN GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES IN ARKANSAS. He didn't take the rock, he left it behind when he went to DC.
"he should go to prison like a diamond thief" -hector
hi my name is hector and i like boogers
i also have a secret identity thts not a secret nomore, and its rachid!
The reality is alot of these moon rocks were given to dignitaries as gifts. Pretty screwed up man. 🙁
The issues made over finding local moon rocks shows the opportunties that private space has in getting to the moon. Basically, send a mission to bring it back, and then sell samples. You will note that it will at a minimum, require a vehicle to be sent there, land, take-off, and then come back. Far more likely that private space would send a craft that would be capable of landing and taking-off multiple times from the moon, as well as be re-fueled in space. Then you have a simple transfer vehicle to carry from earth to the lunar orbit. Once you have this architecture in place, it is easy to launch other missions.
You morons seriously think he stole this rock then packed it up to hide it in the archives? It was on his office shelf when he left AK for Washington, and some aide packed it up for the archives with the 10000 other things sitting around the office. FFS people, get over yourselves.
AK = AR, oops, my inner moron is showing. I blame you 'tards.
very good, wanna cookie, moron?
Who cares about a piece of rock. It must have been part of Hillary's artificial breast. And what about the blue dress? Is that in the Arkansas museum too?
So has Clinton been imprisoned yet? Theft is a crime last I had heard, or do you get a free pass if you are a former president?
Moron #4502947, your brain has been revoked due to misuse.
X-presidents don't go to prison or Lil Georgie would have been there or executed by now.
Just more ineptitude and incompetence from the Clintons – like the "inadvertent" error they made on their income tax returns to the tune of $79,000. Do you think between the two of them, in 30 years, they never thought, "Hmm, now where did we put that priceless moon rock?"
Moron, turn on the brain, this rock wasn't in his possession, it got archived by some aide and left in Arkansas when he went to DC. Critical thought, anyone?
This sure would make an interesting paperweight, and it would make for interesting conversation.
Of course you'd have to tell those visiting your office: Don't tell anyone I have this on my desk! I'm not supposed to have it.
Well at least tehre aren't any comments about how we didn't go to the moon.
what ever – the fake moon landing was a coverup to the continuing republican military complex machine. the money budgeted to NASA for fake spaceship rides was funneled into slush funds to provide arms to Afghanis in the upcoming revolt against th eRussian. Then when the CIA director (George Bush) need to divert more funds, he got Dick Cheney to invent Haliburton. When the money started running out, we faked 9/11 and got congress to allocate billions to provide more cover ups. After Virgin and Apple started building and launching their own spacecraft, Washington had to do something to cover up the fake US space program and cancelled the space shuttles.... that is why the new spaceships look like the 1960 and 1970's ships....
how's that for a conspiracy theory?
I almost forgot – it 'supposedly only took the US 10 years to create the space program and get 12 men into space and on the moon for 4 years.... why is it taking so long to reinvent this program... hmmmm? why are we not going to space for another 15 years in this new program? Is it because by then all the conspiritors in the old space coverup will have been dead and gone?
I am swimming in my awesomness
Now we gotta' frisk em' before they leave office. It's getting bad out there, real bad.
It never left "office", you moron. He went to DC and the rock got archived.
well if you want to get technical about states of employ... I will be anal about the chain of custody. it was a gift to the state of Arkansas... a few years before Bill got there... and since it was removed from the office and moved to storage, it was stolen... it is illegal for any private citizen to possess a moon rock, Bill is a private citizen.
mean people like you suck
And so now we can't have a little fun with it, you socially inept loser? it was obviously in jest.
I am sure the aide that packed the box, was equally confused by who would have given the Governor such a little rock as a gift. And then realized that it symbolized Little Rock.
Closest thing to a brain so far, thanks for reading the article Josh! 😉
well Bill kept shoving that in her and trying to smoke it, no wonder she packed it away...
I just feel sorry for the visitors to the mansion and the subsequent white house when Bill would offer them a smoke....
Sounds like these elected leaders have some "sticky fingers" and need to think twice next time.
Do you really think that any ex-Governor really packs this stuff himself?
yeah, he brought boxes home from work every day on the train.
@bubba: The person said this stuff, not the daily paperwork.
Yes – I am thinking he was oblivious to it. He was probably more impressed by the young intern that delivered the gift and shoved it into a corner with his foot while doing a little waltz with her in his office....
If he stole it, why was it found in a box that was not in his possession and that he obviously did not care about?
Billy thought it was his 3rd rock!
Let's get Ken Starr on it....
bet you another moon rock that this moon rock was knocked off from his desk by a certain ms. lewensky.
Your about as dumb as they come.
jeepsrule98:
Just like to point out that "your" indicates possession while "you're" is a contraction for "you are," as in "You're about as dumb as they come." Just saying.
This proves that Clinton was a bigger crook than Nixon. The value of a moon rock is in the billions of dollars.
White trash is white trash is white trash. You can polish a turdd, but he is still a turdd.
you can polish a turd, but you obviously can't spell turd
how exactly did it get lost in the first place? i mean who loses a MOON ROCK! and if any one saw appolo 18, than they will under stand what i mean when i say it needs to be in a locked vault:D maybe thts how it got lost...
Further proof of what a thief dirt bag he is/was. Don't ever leave the silver ware out with him at the table. You might consider gluing everything down before he visits.
Ummm, he probably never even knew about it. It was presented to the state over two years before Clinton was elected. It was packed away in a box.
Yeah, right. Just like he didn't know anything about the missing furniture form the White House or missing china from Air Force One.
Yeah, especially your daughter, lock her in her room for the evening.
cuz the average moron would know what it was...... It is a high probability if u didnt read this story and shown that u would look at it and put it into a box.
That movie was the absolute WORST! Cinematography sucked, as well as the plot. UGH!
The movie was a collection of film strips from the REAL Apollo 18 mission in which 3 American astronauts (and 1 commie spaceman) died on the moon by mysterious moon rock hermit crabs that live in the dark craters of the moon. NASA obviously didnt want to stop the movie because that would look suspicious. The footage we saw was the actual cameras that were on the moon. The 'use' of actors was a secret agreement between the production company and NASA/USGOV'T. The only reason this was allowed was because it looks worse if the government censors it. The government thinks we are too stupid to believe that there are creatures living on the moon. But WHY haven't we been back there since? The US knew the Russian died and sent Apollo 18 to find out.
Tom – make sure you get that hat lined w/ a triple layer of aluminum foil...
@ TOM
God I hope that apollo 18 rant was sarcasm. You do realized that one of the Actors is on the SYFY show Alphas right?
forgive tom. he has been bitten by a moon hermit crab
it was supposed to b a comedy right?