HED Eucrite, brecciaSahara Desert

The exterior surface is somewhat textured but smooth and contains a natural desert varnish from exposure to the elements prior to its recovery. Pockets of graphite-hued crystallized impact melt abound, as do veins of melt coursing through and around the variegated khaki- to umber-hued eucritic clasts primarily composed of pyroxene, pigeonite and plagioclase. The cut and polished surface reveals much of the same in finer resolution. Testament to the cataclysmic force of an asteroid impact onto the surface of the asteroid Vesta, this is a select example of a fascinating meteorite.
85 x 76 x 23 mm. (3.33 x 3 x 0.75 in.)

166.4 g. (0.33 lbs.)

Eucrite melt breccias are rare. There are less than 20 on record and this offering contains two of the best examples: NWA 11329, which is the largest transitional eucrite breccia (lot 52), and the current offering which is paired with NWA 12342. This is one of the relatively few meteorites with a known return address; it originates from the asteroid Vesta located between Mars and Jupiter. The second largest asteroid in our solar system, Vesta is the only large asteroid with a basalt-covered surface. In addition, data transmitted from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which orbited Vesta in 2011-12, provided reams of evidence supporting the notion of Vestan origin. The delivery mechanism to Earth required the collision of another, smaller asteroid with Vesta, launching material off its surface into interplanetary space and ultimately into an Earth-crossing orbit.

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.