The remarkable extraterrestrial pieces, ranging from $500 to $500,000, are up for bidding from August 12 to 25, 2020
August 18, 2020: The Christie’s Deep Impact: Lunar and Rare Meteorites Sale has put up for auction some extraordinary curios from outside our planet. The auction is being held between August 12 to 25, 2020.
One of the most coveted items for sale is the largest lunar sphere on Earth. A piece of the moon was released into the space following an impact on the lunar surface. This lunar meteorite is shaped in the form of a moon and is one of the few meteorites that is very similar to the 400kg of material brought to Earth by the Apollo astronauts. It has a diameter of 98 mm (4 inches) and is priced approximately between $300,000 to $500,000. Apart from this lunar sphere, the sale also has a smaller lunar sphere at an estimated price of $15,000 to $20,000 and also a lunar jewelry piece embellished with gemstones at an estimated price of $25,000 to $35,000.
The Lake Murray meteorite is another fascinating item up for auction. Boasting an alluring crystalline pattern, this meteorite emerged from the molten core of an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter. Found covered in Antler Sandstone of the Lower Cretaceous Period, this meteorite is touted to have landed on Earth’s surface 110 million years ago, before even the earliest human evolution.
The sale also features a large partial slice of Pallasite, known as the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance, from the collection of renowned meteorite hunter Robert Haag. The slab for auction, the Esquel Pallasite, is eight inches across and contains translucent olivine crystals colored in amber and emerald. It also features the semi-precious gem-quality Peridot, the birthstone for the month of August. Constituting only 0.2% of all meteorites, this rare and exotic specimen of the Esquel meteorite is priced between $15,000 to $25,000.
The sale has different items from the Macovich Collection, one of them being an oriented heat shield parabolic meteorite at an estimated price of $40,000 to $60,000. Other specimens are the Gibeon Iron Meteorite (estimate: $40,000 to $60,000) in the form of a tabletop structure known for its unusual shape.
There are three other lots in the auction that comprise the oldest matter mankind can touch, one with over 70 amino acids from outer space (estimate: between $12,000-18,000); two specimens from the largest meteorite shower since civilization (estimate: $15,000-30,000); five specimens with extraterrestrial gemstones – including one with nanodiamonds (estimate: between $4,000-25,000); a slice of a meteorite from Meteor Crater, Arizona (estimate: $2,500-3,500) and the main mass of the New York meteorite ($25,000-40,000).
With so many exceedingly striking celestial lots, this auction has something to appeal to every collector.
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