Details
While the vast majority of Campo del Cielo meteorites contain occasional silicate inclusions, the specimen now offered features an abundance of such inclusions and was, as a result, initially believed to be a completely different meteorite that happened to fall in the Campo del Cielo (“Field of the Sky”) strewn field. Such specimens however, are part of the Campo del Cielo event; the chemical signature of the metal of this specimen matches that of other Campos. The penetrating threads of metal seen are the result of a massive shock event on the asteroid from which this meteorite originated.

Although most iron meteorites were derived from the iron cores of asteroids following a catastrophic collision with another asteroid, Campo del Cielo and other IAB irons appear to have formed near the surface of a metal-bearing chondritic body following a massive collision. After wandering in space for millions of years, what were to become Campo del Cielo meteorites slammed into Earth’s upper atmosphere. The largest fragments impacted Earth at such a high velocity that numerous craters resulted, including one the size of a football field.

The cut and polished surface reveals large angular ebony-hued inclusions which are compositionally chondritic — in effect, fragments of a stone meteorite — suspended in the metallic matrix. As a result of the intermingling of its silicate and iron-nickel components, the meteorite’s external surface is somewhat nodular and draped in a charcoal-hued patina with graphite-hued accents. Accompanied by a custom armature, this is a choice example of a silicated iron meteorite. Modern cutting.

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.

153 x 168 x 51mm (6 x 6.66 x 2 in.) and 2.173 kg (4.75 lbs).
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