Unbrecciated eucrite – HED; Guelmim-Es-Semara, Morocco (28°93’ N, 8°90’ W)

As a result of its composition and its fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, in what is a signature feature of Tirhert meteorites, this fragment is covered in what is possibly the glossiest fusion crust of any meteorite, with one face providing a window into the internal structure. Its passage to Earth is marked by another aerodynamic feature: the rippling seen in the crust is from where molten droplets of material were flowing across the meteorite’s surface during its descent.

In southern Morocco at 9:30 pm on July 9, 2014, an intense fireball traveling southeasterly was followed by multiple sonic booms heard 220 kilometers from the site of impact. One week later, Michael Farmer arrived on he scene to search for material amongst the rocky strewn field that resulted in most meteorite specimens shattering on impact.

Tirhert is also one of only two witnessed falls of an unbrecciated eucrite. It originated from the asteroid Vesta, from which it was ejected into an Earth-crossing orbit following a collision with another asteroid.

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.
40 mm x 40 mm x 35 mm (1¹⁄₂ x 1.1.2 x 1¹⁄₃ in.)
92g.

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