METEORITE SPHERE.
Large etched iron-nickel meteorite sphere, from the fragments of meteorite recovered at Campo del Cielo in northern Argentina. 3 inches in diameter, with Widmanstätten patterns and darker areas of graphite and troilite inclusions. 4lb 8oz in weight.
The Campo del Cielo meteorite fell around 2,200–2,700BC. Spanish explorers discovered fragments of the meteorite in 1576 with the help of the native inhabitants. Based on the total mass of fragments found, it is the heaviest meteorite ever recovered on Earth. Samples are difficult to cut because the inclusions tend to break cutting equipment; as a result, large spheres are rare since so much of the original meteorite is lost in the cutting process. The fragment from which this sphere was cut weighed over 20lb.
The Campo del Cielo meteorite fell around 2,200–2,700BC. Spanish explorers discovered fragments of the meteorite in 1576 with the help of the native inhabitants. Based on the total mass of fragments found, it is the heaviest meteorite ever recovered on Earth. Samples are difficult to cut because the inclusions tend to break cutting equipment; as a result, large spheres are rare since so much of the original meteorite is lost in the cutting process. The fragment from which this sphere was cut weighed over 20lb.
Sold for
US$ 3,500
inc. premium
Category: Space / Space History
Auction terms and conditions
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Matthew Haley
Bonhams
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Space History
