Christie’s will host a major auction of meteorites in an online only sale on February 7-14, topped by an exceptional Canyon Diablo.
This rare lump of space iron is named for the canyon
in Arizona it was discovered near in the mid-19th century.
It’s a remnant from a collision with an asteroid that arrived here from the belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The interior of the meteorite is filled with black diamonds, formed in the searing heat of the Earth’s atmosphere.
It also features seven holes enlarged by terrestrialization, or weathering over millennia. These holes are highly prized by collectors.
Christie’s comments: “The fragments of iron that survived the impact are referred to as Canyon Diablos (‘Canyon of the Devil’), and they are the quintessential American meteorite prized by museums and private collectors everywhere.”
It’s valued at up to $250,000.
A large piece of Moon rock is also featured, with a valuation of $180,000.
The piece was a centrepiece of the travelling Cradle to Cosmos exhibition between 2014 and 2015.
Lunar meteorites are particularly rare pieces of space debris, making up around 0.5% of all the meteorites found on Earth.
This one was discovered in the northern Sahara desert, one of the richest regions for meteorites on the planet.
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