Complete Slice of Seymchan Meteorite

Similar to the previous lot, this is a more modestly sized complete slice of the Seymchan meteorite. The meteorite from which this slice was cut emerged from the base of the iron-nickel core of a melted asteroid that orbited the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. A prominent Widmanstätten pattern is in evidence; this latticework is indicative of a slow cooling rate that provided sufficient time — millions of years — for the two metallic alloys to form their intricate intergrowth. It is diagnostic in the identification of an iron meteorite. Seymchan is renowned for possessing one of the most robust crystalline patterns seen, and this character is much in evidence.

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.