L3 SAHARA DESERT, NORTH WEST AFRICA

THE ORIENTED, PRIMITIVE CHONDRITE NWA 11014 — CONTAINS THE RAW INGREDIENTS OF THE PLANETS

The 11,014th meteorite found in the Northwest African grid of the Sahara Desert to have undergone scientific analysis and cataloguing. NWA 11014 is particularly noteworthy for two reasons. Unlike 99% of all meteorites, this specimen experienced a minimal amount of the tumbling as it plunged through our atmosphere; it maintained the same axis of orientation during its earthward descent. More importantly, also unlike the vast majority of stone meteorites, the material seen here has remained virtually unchanged since it aggregated within the cloud of gas and dust known as the “solar nebula.” In effect, this meteorite provides a rare glimpse of the raw ingredients that formed the planets, moons, comets and asteroids of our solar system. This specimen contains an abundance of densely packed chondrules. Exhibiting variable textures, they are held together by fine-grained silicate matrix, i.e., compacted nebular dust dating from the earliest stages of solar-system history. This is the main mass and a fascinating relic from the beginning of our solar system.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue note.