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Oriented Stone Meteorite
About the Item
Oriented Stone Meteorite
Chondrite
5.00 kg
Detached from its parent body by a mighty impact, this large, oriented Meteorite travelled over a hundred million miles through space before falling to Earth in the North African desert. Beautiful regmaglypts radiate from the apex of its cone shaped nose. These elongated dimples formed when streaks of superheated molten rock streamed off the meteor’s surface as it blazed through the atmosphere. The entire piece is coated in a glossy, umber-coloured fusion crust, created by the last molten layer to form as the Meteorite collided with the Earth, evidence of the extreme forces endured by this striking artefact and reminiscent of the gonshi, or ‘scholar’s rocks’, which adorned the studios of Imperial China’s literati.
Whilst most meteors tumble as they travel through the Earth’s atmosphere, oriented meteorites maintain a stable trajectory as they fall, their domed shape created by the intense heat of atmospheric entry. This phenomenon is extremely rare, with less than one percent of meteorites falling in this way.
“This beautiful unclassified chondrite from Northwest Africa differs from 99% of meteorites in that it maintained a constant orientation as it traversed the Earth’s atmosphere. The shapes of oriented meteorites inspired the design of reentry capsules of manned space missions.”
Dr Alan E. Rubin, PhD Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, UCLA
20.96 x 24.90 cm
Provenance:
Discovered in Northwest Africa (exact coordinates unknown).
Published:
ArtAncient, Extraterrestrial (2022).
- Dimensions:Height: 8.26 in (20.96 cm)Diameter: 9.81 in (24.9 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 4.5 Billion y/o
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
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Associations
LAPADA - The Association of Arts & Antiques DealersInternational Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers' AssociationsThe British Antique Dealers' Association
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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