Blocky stone with primary and secondary crust, several fractures from impact and broken faces showing pristine interior. Some grass and soil still embedded from ground impact.

Michael Famer feels that this is “truly the best meteorite chase of my 25 years of chasing meteorite falls, a massive CM2 fall in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Thousands of stones fell. I arrived on-site 36 hours after the fall and was able to acquire over 10 kilograms. Most have been traded, donated or purchased by scientific institutions. Aguas zarcas made worldwide news. This meteorite is still under intense scientific research to unlock its secrets. Most stones were recovered pristine."

At 9:07 p.m. on April 23, 2019, a meteorite shower occurred in a rain forest in central Costa Rica. The fireball was caught on multiple cameras, including those perched on the summits of two volcanoes. Like Murchison (see lot 1), Aguas Zarcas meteorites are loaded with organic compounds. They are rich in carboxylic acids, sugar alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, and others. A total of 144 different scientific papers have already been written about Aguas Zarcas meteorites; many more are in the pipeline. The revelations provided by Aquas Zarcas thus far — providing a hint of what is to come — is perhaps best described by the title of a 13-page article in the preeminent publication in the study of meteorites, Meteoritics and Planetary Science. The article, published in July 2020 is entitled, “The Aguas Zarcas (CM2) Meteorite: New Insights Into Early Solar System Organic Chemistry”.

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.
60 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm (2¹⁄₃ x 2 x 2 in.)
162g.

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
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Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.