Lot 843
Whole Stony 2 Pound Meteorite From the Sahara Desert (Morocco and Algeria). Whole intact stony meteorites are rarely encountered since most finds consist of a single meteorite, usually weighing at most only a few pounds. The recovered meteorite is named for the region where discovered and sectioned and polished to show internal structures and sold to eager collectors. This is a limited rare opportnity to acquire a whole meteorite with fusion crust (the burned brown to black thin outer layer from the intense heat of passage through the atmosphere). The supply of meteorites will be exhausted quickly as no more fall there as on any other region of the earth. The ones recovered by Berbers and Bedouins may have remained undisturbed in the Sahara Desert for more than 10,000 years. Their pristine surfaces are preserved because of the dry desert conditions, which eliminate the weathering due to wind and water that occurs under normal conditions.
This large 4"x3"x2 1/2" 934 gm dark brown stony meteorite has many interesting features. It has almost complete original fusion crust just chipped away in a few places where the meteorite's interior can be viewed. It appears to have very large chondrules. Chondrules are nearly sperical silicate grains that were once molten droplets that were part of the interstellar cloud that condensed to form all of the planets and asteroids. Also, two of the sides are smooth from ablating and two of the notes are rough from the explosion that took place several miles up in the atmosphere when their meteor came to earth long ago. Add $20 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $550 - 1,000.
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| Realized $431 |
