Dinosaur skeleton and a piece of the moon: Sotheby's launches a mega-auction in New York with hundreds of unique lots

The halls of the New York auction house Sotheby's are teeming with dinosaurs, full of meteorites and display objects that have been on the moon. Hundreds of science-themed items are up for auction during the annual Geek Week. Daily Mail.

Visitors can bet on the handle Buzz Aldrin used to start failed lander engines during the Apollo II mission. And also buy a deadly predator claw and a piece of the lunar surface that broke off during a collision with an asteroid.

A magnificent tourbillon is also up for auction. It was worn on the wrist of a civilian astronaut who went into space in April of this year and circled the International Space Station.

This year's Geek Week has four categories: Natural History, Buzz Aldrin: An American Icon, Jacob & Co. Astronomia Bucherer BLUE and meteorites.

Online bidding opened on July 20th and the live auction will take place on July 28th.

The Natural History category contains a collection of dinosaur fossils.

Among them is the tail spike of a Stegosaurus, which is 150 million years old. The tail spike is over 43 centimeters long. And it still shows the nutrient holes and channels that once kept the dinosaur blood flowing.

There is also the deadly Dakotaraptor claw. With it, he killed large herbivorous dinosaurs 66 million years ago. This dinosaur was light in build and sported feathers all over its body. The claw was discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in Garfield County, Montana.

Also included is a 66 million year old Triceratops skull. It is planned to be sold for $35.

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There is also a 50-year-old extinct American lion skull that can fetch up to $000 at auction. And a saber-toothed tiger skull that still has long, sharp teeth.

The Natural History Group's highlight is a complete Gorgosaurus skeleton that could fetch up to $8 million. The highest bid as of Friday is $3,5 million. The fossilized dinosaur is a relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Geek Week has a whole section dedicated to the second man to walk on the moon.

Aldrin auctions off his personal belongings from the Apollo mission. Many people may have seen the news of his iconic white flight jacket for sale. But what could go unnoticed is the silver pen.

It has a dent in its hull from being used by Aldrin to replace a broken circuit breaker to start the Eagle moon lander's thrusters. If it had not been possible to activate them, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong would not have been able to leave the moon.

In a fit of desperation, Aldrin quickly took control of the situation and stuck the pen where the chain had been broken.

“Houston says: “Hooray, we have a live broadcast!”. Aldrin explained this during a conversation with his daughter Yang years after the mission took place. The pen can sell for up to $2 million. Its current price is $700.

Also from Aldrin's personal collection is a custom-made earpiece he wore during the Apollo II flight. It was molded to fit perfectly in Aldrin's ear. And let him hear Mission Control in Texas while he was in space. An earphone can cost up to $12.

Another interesting item is Aldrin's Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Richard Nixon presented it on August 13, 1969. Prices up to $30 are expected.

Another space-themed category includes fragments of meteorites that fell from the sky.

One of them is a fragment of the Allende meteorite that fell to Earth on February 8, 1969.

The meteor shower streaked across the sky like a fireball and hit the southern Chihuahua village of Pueblito de Allende, Mexico, scattering debris along the way.

The slice contains particles that were created during a supernova explosion prior to the formation of our solar system. This makes it the oldest substance ever in the hands of man.

Then comes a stunning cut of Imilac pallasite, complemented by vibrant yellow and orange stones. Pallasites are a type of stony-iron meteorite. Imilac was discovered in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile in 1822. It is believed to be 4,5 billion years old.

Sotheby's estimates that a bidder will pay up to $5000 to showcase the exquisite piece in their home.

There is also a sample of a piece of the Moon at the auction. It was thrown into orbit after an asteroid collided with the lunar surface. This exhibit is planned to be sold for up to $85.

In the last category Jacob & Co. not artifacts, but the only Bucherer BLUE tourbillon watch that went into space for the first time.

The dial of the Astronomia Tourbillo has a backdrop like the darkness of the last frontier, shining with thousands of stars. One of the clock hands is made in the form of the Earth, and the other is in the form of a shimmering crystal.

Tourbillon appeared on the wrist of Eitan Stibbe. He traveled to the International Space Station aboard the civilian Axiom Space mission.

Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer BLUE spent 17 days in space, one hour and 37 minutes. The space crew circled the Earth 273 times.

Sotheby's did not provide an estimated price for the watch. But the highest price as of Friday is $130.