CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT - photo 1
CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT - photo 2
CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT - photo 3
CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT - photo 4

CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT

Sold
$ 22 500
Auction dateClassic
23.02.2021 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 491277
Lot 67 | CANYON DIABLO METEORITE AND METEOR CRATER STUDY KIT
Canyon Diablo ("Canyon of the Devil") meteorites are the quintessential American meteorites, prized by museums and private collectors everywhere. Like most meteorites, this specimen originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Approximately 49,000 years ago it was part of an errant asteroid that plowed into the Arizona desert with the force of more than 100 atomic bombs. Fragments were ejected more than 11 miles away from the point of impact, and the main mass vaporized, creating the world's best-preserved meteorite crater. The renowned "Meteor Crater" near Winslow, Arizona is nearly one mile across and 600 feet deep.

At the turn of the 20th Century, businessman Daniel Barringer reasoned this crater had to have been created by an enormous mass weighing millions of tons; and he believed this mass, worth a fortune in nickel and iron, lay under the crater's base. After a massive investment spanning decades it was not found. Modern science informs that a meteorite far smaller than what Barringer believed existed would possess sufficient energy to blow a huge hole in the desert floor… as well as generate enough heat to vaporize most of its mass. In effect, the mass that Barringer spent the last part of his life searching for didn't exist — but this engaging example does, as does the crater, which has proven to be a boon to the Barringer family and is an international tourist attraction not to be missed.

This lot also includes a "Meteor Crater Study Kit". Published in 1969, this collectible includes a Canyon Diablo meteorite fragment, an oxidized meteorite fragment, meteoric spheroids and impactite — all collected from Meteor Crater — plus Dr. Harvey Nininger's 65-page handbook, "A Comet Strikes the Earth." Nininger is considered the Father of Meteoritics and opened the world's first meteorite museum, which was located on Highway 66 near Meteor Crater. Unfortunately, within a couple of years of opening in 1947, Interstate 40 also opened and there was substantially less reason to travel via the old highway. Nininger's loyal son-in-law, Glen Huss, another notable meteoriticist, was the Study Kit’s publisher.

This iron meteorite features a concavity with dimpling and a naturally formed hole. A flat, elevated ridge running along the right side has softened edges. The reverse is largely convex apart from a small depression surrounding the hole. These features are the result of exposure to the Arizona Desert elements for 49,000 years.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.


49 x 72 x 35mm (2 x 2.75 x 1.33 in.) and 344.9g (0.75 lbs)
Medium:Iron
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
09.02.2021 – 23.02.2021
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.