CANYON DIABLO METEORITE — GRAPHITE NODULE FROM “METEOR CRATER” - photo 1
CANYON DIABLO METEORITE — GRAPHITE NODULE FROM “METEOR CRATER” - photo 2

CANYON DIABLO METEORITE — GRAPHITE NODULE FROM “METEOR CRATER”

Lot 28
25.08.2020 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 2 200
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 389971
Lot 28 | CANYON DIABLO METEORITE — GRAPHITE NODULE FROM “METEOR CRATER”
Estimate value
$ 2 500 – 3 500
Lot Description:
Beyond the famous crater and its small diamonds, Canyon Diablo meteorites are also renowned for their graphite nodules. During collisions on the Canyon Diablo asteroid, molten metal was injected into, and fully penetrated, the graphite as evidenced by the veins of metal writhing through the matrix. The largest nodules may have been ejected during atmospheric descent; some became liberated from their metal jacket as it oxidized during the ensuing 50,000 years. This complete slice is an exquisite representation of a cataclysmic event — a collision of asteroids — frozen in time.
99 x 125 x 2mm (4 x 5 x 0.1 in.)
120.9g (0.25 lb)

50,000 years ago, a 50-meter-wide iron-nickel asteroid plowed into northern Arizona, releasing as much energy as 40 megatons of TNT. More than 100 million tons of rock were ejected into the air, resulting in the most famous and best-preserved meteorite crater in the world — the renowned “Meteor Crater” near Winslow, Arizona. The crater is more than a kilometer in diameter and nearly 200 meters deep — neither the Washington Monument nor the Gateway Arch in St. Louis would peak over the rim. The surviving iron meteorites are collectively known as Canyon Diablos (see lot 24). Prized by museums, research institutions and private collectors everywhere, Canyon Diablo iron meteorites contain graphite nodules and carbonados (small black diamonds created during the iron asteroid’s impact).

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

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
12.08.2020 – 25.08.2020
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

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.
?>