Chondrite – H5 melt breccia; Agadez, Níger

Rivers of molten material flow around pebbles of matrix. Impact melt breccias are among the most texturally diverse meteorites. It is the result of the variables of impact events including the composition, speed and angle of the projectile, the composition and porosity of the melted target, and the size, shape and abundance of the unmelted inclusions. This is a fascinating representation.

This meteorite is the result of an impact having occurred in interplanetary space at cosmic velocity (more than 5 km/second) that melted the portion of the parent body from where these meteorites originated—before being launched into an Earth-crossing orbit and eventually landing in the African nation of Niger.

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.
160 mm x 146 mm x 40 mm (6¹⁄₄ x 5³⁄₄ x 1¹⁄₂ in.)
1.4kg.

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