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Sale 71
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Lot 669
Meteorite Huge Stony With Fusion Crust. Most stony meteorites are small (less than 1 pound) because the larger stony meteorites usually break apart or explode before they contact the earth. This huge 5X4X5 inch 6 pound complete stony is one of the exceptions. It is designated as an unclassified NWA (North West Africa) stony meteorite and was found by nomadic Berbers in the sands of the Sahara desert of Morocco. It is probably an ordinary chondrite which means that it consists of round silicate grains that formed at the very beginning of the solar system 4.55 billion years ago from molten globs of accreted material that stuck together to form the asteroid from which this meteorite was blasted off when two asteroids collided. All stony meteorites contain iron and are designated as either low or high iron. This large meteorite is original just as found in the desert with virtually complete thin dark brown fusion crust which occurred when the meteorite broke up and ablated at high temperature as it passed through the earth's atmosphere before contacting the ground. Also there is an interesting 1.75 x 1.5 inch group of regmaglypts that resembles a flower. This meteorite looks as though it just landed on earth yesterday as most meteorites quickly become weathered from wind and rain but fortunately meteorites will retain their fusion crust for hundreds of years if they are buried in sand in a dessert. On the bottom of the meteorite is a 2 x 1.5 inch window that has been cut and polished to show the dark brown interior with chondrules and flecks of iron-nickel metal. Complete large stony meteorites are far rarer than iron-nickel meteorites which are often found in larger sizes.
Allow $25 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500.
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| Realized $1,800 |
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