SIKHOTE ALIN — MATCHLESS SLICE FROM MASSIVE METEORITE SHOWER - photo 1

SIKHOTE ALIN — MATCHLESS SLICE FROM MASSIVE METEORITE SHOWER

Sold
$ 4 788
Auction dateClassic
23.02.2022 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 716395
Lot 10 | SIKHOTE ALIN — MATCHLESS SLICE FROM MASSIVE METEORITE SHOWER
February 12, 2022 marks the 75th Anniversary of one of the largest meteorite showers of the last several thousand years. With an explosive yield estimated to rival that of an atomic bomb, had this event occurred over a populated area, the result would have been devastating. Originating from the core of an asteroid, upon slamming into Earth’s atmosphere it began to break apart, creating a fireball brighter than the Sun as it sailed over the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in Siberia. A 33-kilometer-long smoke trail persisted in the sky for several hours, and many of the resulting meteorites produced impact craters as large as 26 meters — with nearly 200 craters having been catalogued.

It is not often that slices of Sikhote Alin are available and this is a superb example. Similar to lot 63, its signature coarse octahedral crystalline pattern is revealed to great effect. Bands of schreibersite are seen at both the top and lower margin — where a nodule of troilite is also evident. This is a splendid representation from one of the most historic meteorite events of all time.

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.

129 x 107 x 3mm (5 x 4.25 x 0.1 in.) and 238.4g (0.5 lbs)
Category:Meteorite
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.02.2022 – 23.02.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

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.