Lot 1768
Whole Stony Meteorite From Morocco. Although most meteorites that fall to earth are stony meteorites, whole, intact, stony meteorites are rarely encountered. Most finds consist of a single meteorite, weighing a few pounds at most. Meteorites are named after the city or region where they fall, and collector demand is so high to own a piece of a named fall that the meteorite found is usually cut up and polished to satisfy this demand. Also, the fusion crust (the brown to black thin outer layer burned from the intense heat of passage through the atmosphere) quickly weathers away and thus makes it difficult to identify a meteorite.
This large (for a stony) meteorite measures 5 in. long x 5¼ in. wide x 3 in. high and weighs a hefty 4½ pounds. It was found in 2000 in the Sahara desert near Boudnib, Morocco in the Hamada region. The shape and color are exquisite, with some thumb prints (regmaglypts) and their dark brown fusion crust over most of the upper and side surface. The bottom has most of the fusion crust partially worn away by the desert wind, but has a 1 in. x 1 in. section cut and polished to show both sectioned chondrules and flecks of iron. Chondrules are small, near spherical silicate grains that were part of the interstellar cloud that condensed to form the planets, moon and asteroids. Allow $20 for shipping.
Estimated Value $1,300 - 2,200.
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| Realized $1,265 |
