Own a piece of history: The only photo of Neil Armstrong on the moon in existence will soon be available to buy at auction

You now have the unique opportunity to add a piece of history to your photography collection. The only photograph of Neil Armstrong on the moon is heading to auction next month via Bonhams, a British auctioneer founded in 1793.

The sale, For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration, will also include 449 other NASA photographs – some previously unseen – from the collection of Victor Martin-Malburet, a space historian who discovered the images among archives and collections of former NASA engineers over 25 years.

The incredible photograph of Armstrong was taken by fellow astronaut, Buzz Aldrin – the second person to walk on the moon – on the Apollo 11 space mission, showing Armstrong standing next to the Lunar Module Eagle.

The image is expected to fetch between US$20,000 and $27,000 (£15,000 - 20,800 / AUD$32,000 - 43,000 ) and was only discovered 17 years after the 1969 journey to the moon.

The collection also includes photographs taken by Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission. His first image from the surface of the moon is expected to go for US$7,600 - $11,000 (£5,800 - £8,500 / AU$12,000 - $17,500).

After taking his first step on the moon, Armstrong was supposed to collect a contingency lunar sample in case of an emergency, according to Bonhams. Instead, Armstrong decided to take the first photo on the moon.

An Earthrise is an image that shows both the Earth and part of the moon’s surface, and the first ever photograph taken of the scene is also up for sale, expecting to reach between $13,000 and $19,000 USD (£10,000 - £14,600 / $20,600 - $30,200 AUD).

Astronaut William Anders took the black-and-white shot during the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve in December 1968.

“The Apollo astronauts captured humanity’s greatest dream through their cameras,” Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, head of the Bonhams sale, said in a press statement.

“Their photographs will forever symbolize the beginning of our expansion into the universe. Today, space exploration is once again a burning topic. It was only natural for Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr to present these undisputed masterpieces of the 20th century to collectors, as they continue to fascinate and enrich our imagination.”

Other images included in the auction include the first selfie taken in space by Buzz Aldrin in 1966 on the Gemini 12 mission, the first ever photograph taken in space by humans by John Glenn during Friendship 7’s first orbit in 1962, and the first photograph of a human in space taken by James McDivitt during the first American spacewalk on Gemini 4.

For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration will take place online from April 14 to 28 in Paris. Visit the Bonhams website for more information.

Take a look at our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography, and the best star tracker mounts for astrophotography.