SERICHO METEORITE - AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SLICE - photo 1
SERICHO METEORITE - AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SLICE - photo 2

SERICHO METEORITE - AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SLICE

Lot 46
06.04.2022 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 4 410
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
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ID 737535
Lot 46 | SERICHO METEORITE - AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SLICE
Estimate value
£ 5 000 – 8 000
Polished on both sides the slice displays dozens of honey-coloured aggregates of olivine naturally suspended in a shimmering iron-nickel matrix — in effect, natural extraterrestrial steel studded with gems from space. Stabilized.

Michael Farmer traveled to this location on the Somalia border upon discovery of this pallasite in 2017. Any movement in this area is prohibited without Kenyan escort. As the first one there, he was able to acquire the best pieces.

The Sericho pallasite formed at the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid about 4.5 billion years ago. Deep inside the asteroid, molten metal from the outer core mixed with chunks of the olivine mantle that had crystallized. Things remained quiet for Sericho until a major collision shattered the asteroid; this event and subsequent, less-energetic collisions set Sericho pallasite material on a collision course with Earth — and more specifically, 200 miles northeast of what is now Nairobi, Kenya. The strewn field was discovered by camel herders, and the stony-iron rocks were first identified as meteorites in 2016; it is currently unclear when this meteorite shower occurred, but it is at least decades old.

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.
340 mm x 230 mm x 3 mm (131/3 x 9 x 1/8 in.)
990g.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
23.03.2022 – 06.04.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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