Utah moon rock locked away during planetarium remodel

FILE PHOTO - A half-moon appears in the late-evening sky above Safeco Field during a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, May 13, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A rare moon rock has gone under lock and key while Salt Lake City’s Clark Planetarium undergoes renovations for the next several months.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1P4TqF7) that the object was escorted by armed guards Friday to a downtown bank vault.

The apricot-size rock has been on permanent loan from NASA since 1975.

It is part of the 842 pounds of lunar rocks collected over the course of six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972.

Planetarium director Seth Jarvis says the first phase of the remodel will begin Monday and is expected to be completed in late October.

The rock will move from its spot in a protective pyramid on the upper floor to a more prominent spot on the first floor.

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