Breathtaking meteorites to be sold at auction for thousands
Do you love space and have tens of thousands of dollars burning a hole in your pocket? This upcoming meteorite auction is calling out to you.
Dozens of meteorites that have crashed into Earth are going up for auction through Christie's beginning Feb. 9, including the above 16-pound rock that refrained from rotating during its blazing atmospheric entry — a rare occurrence — giving it its distinct, streaky appearance. It's estimated to go for $50,000 to $80,000.
An impressive celestial collection of 75 items make up the auction titled Deep Impact: Lunar, Martian and Other Rare Meteorites. The auction includes meteorites from the Moon, Mars, and pieces of asteroids. Some are sold with little to no alteration, while others have been transformed for aesthetic purposes and to show off the structures beneath their otherwise charred exteriors.
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This sphere below was fashioned from the core of a shattered asteroid that landed in Sweden.
Another specimen in the auction contains striking gemstones embedded throughout its body. It's been polished to show off the olivine crystals similar to previous sales of meteorites found in Xinjiang, China, and is expected to sell for $3,500 to $4,000.
A couple of gibeon meteorites are also up for auction through Christie's. Gibeon meteorites landed in what's now known as Namibia during prehistoric times, and more than 100 pieces have been recovered.
This exemplary piece below that's up for auction is an iron-nickel alloy with portions of cobalt and phosphorous.
Additional meteorites include an iron meteorite that landed in Odessa, Texas, a 308-pound iron meteorite that is estimated to sell for as much as $260,000, and a slice of rock from Mars that has bits of Martian atmosphere trapped in glass bubbles inside it. While some are expected to get steep bids, a few estimates begin at $250.
The Deep Impact auction at Christie's runs from Feb. 9 to Feb. 23.
h/t CNN
