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The Macovich Collection of Meteorites
Lot 1141
Complete Slice of NWA 5717—The Largest Slice of Primitive Planetary Material Ever Offered—Significant New Discovery of Primordial Matter Never Before Seen
27 May 2010, 13:00 EDT
New YorkUS$8,500 - US$11,000
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Find your local specialistComplete Slice of NWA 5717—The Largest Slice of Primitive Planetary Material Ever Offered—Significant New Discovery of Primordial Matter Never Before Seen
Chondrite Ungrouped (CH-UNGR) Subtype 3.05
Western Sahara
Only once in a great while is there a discovery that becomes a game changer. It's the unexpected...the unimagined. It's the data points that couldn't be predicted. And theories are debunked, revised or newly created in its wake. NWA 5717 is one such discovery.NWA 5717 contains different types of primordial matter never previously seen, and provides a rare peek at the raw ingredients from which planetary bodies are composed. These two attributes are why the abstract on NWA 5717 which recently appeared in the 2010 Journal of the Lunar and Planetary Conference (XLI) was entitled, "The Extra-Ordinary Chondrite: Northwest Africa 5717."The vast majority of all meteorites are referred to as ordinary Chondrites—stone meteorites that contain silica-rich inclusions referred to as chondrules. And the vast majority of all chondrites are metamorphosed, so the peek provided of its original composition is obscured. This is not the case with NWA 5717. Unlike 99.99% of all other meteorites, NWA 5717 is unchanged since it first condensed out of the cloud of the early solar nebula. In effect, this slice contains some of the most pristine constituents of our planets and the most primitive planetary matter that can ever be encountered and, say scientists, it will be able to provide insight into the understanding of planetary origins. Apart from the foregoing, which is in and of itself extraordinary, of the tens of thousands of chondritic meteorites known to exist, there are just 14 that do not fit into the protocols of classification. In effect, they are unclassifiable, and as a result have received the honorific "chondrites ungrouped" (CH-UNGR). The current offering is a member of this select class as well, and NWA 5717 is the only meteorite that is both highly primitive and originates from a previously unknown parent body. NWA 5717 is the 5717th meteorite to be recovered and classified from the Sahara Desert. More than more than half of the NWA 5717 mass will be placed in institutions and little material will be available to the collecting community. Noted scientist Dr. Anthony Irving of Washington University states, "There will most certainly be a great deal of research done on 5717 in years to come." Every great meteorite collection will contain a sample of NWA 5717 and most will be small partial slices or fragments for research. The complete slice now offered features a rim of fusion crust surrounding a galaxy of inclusions in two distinct lithologies.
For the serious collector, now offered is a unique opportunity to obtain the largest complete slice of what is among most primitive planetary material available, measures 154 x 128 x 2mm (6 x 5 x .1 inches) and weighs 174.04 grams (0.38lbs)
Western Sahara
Only once in a great while is there a discovery that becomes a game changer. It's the unexpected...the unimagined. It's the data points that couldn't be predicted. And theories are debunked, revised or newly created in its wake. NWA 5717 is one such discovery.NWA 5717 contains different types of primordial matter never previously seen, and provides a rare peek at the raw ingredients from which planetary bodies are composed. These two attributes are why the abstract on NWA 5717 which recently appeared in the 2010 Journal of the Lunar and Planetary Conference (XLI) was entitled, "The Extra-Ordinary Chondrite: Northwest Africa 5717."The vast majority of all meteorites are referred to as ordinary Chondrites—stone meteorites that contain silica-rich inclusions referred to as chondrules. And the vast majority of all chondrites are metamorphosed, so the peek provided of its original composition is obscured. This is not the case with NWA 5717. Unlike 99.99% of all other meteorites, NWA 5717 is unchanged since it first condensed out of the cloud of the early solar nebula. In effect, this slice contains some of the most pristine constituents of our planets and the most primitive planetary matter that can ever be encountered and, say scientists, it will be able to provide insight into the understanding of planetary origins. Apart from the foregoing, which is in and of itself extraordinary, of the tens of thousands of chondritic meteorites known to exist, there are just 14 that do not fit into the protocols of classification. In effect, they are unclassifiable, and as a result have received the honorific "chondrites ungrouped" (CH-UNGR). The current offering is a member of this select class as well, and NWA 5717 is the only meteorite that is both highly primitive and originates from a previously unknown parent body. NWA 5717 is the 5717th meteorite to be recovered and classified from the Sahara Desert. More than more than half of the NWA 5717 mass will be placed in institutions and little material will be available to the collecting community. Noted scientist Dr. Anthony Irving of Washington University states, "There will most certainly be a great deal of research done on 5717 in years to come." Every great meteorite collection will contain a sample of NWA 5717 and most will be small partial slices or fragments for research. The complete slice now offered features a rim of fusion crust surrounding a galaxy of inclusions in two distinct lithologies.
For the serious collector, now offered is a unique opportunity to obtain the largest complete slice of what is among most primitive planetary material available, measures 154 x 128 x 2mm (6 x 5 x .1 inches) and weighs 174.04 grams (0.38lbs)
Footnotes
Provenance: Macovich Collection of Meteorites
Accompanied by a copy of the Journal of the Lunar and Planetary Conference abstract.