Thursday, February 24, 2022

Christie's prepares for out-of-this-world meteorite auction


Large Specimen Of Mars is on display at a press preview for Deep Impact: Martian, Lunar and Other Rare Meteorites at Christie's on February 17, in New York City. 
Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Christie's will conduct an out-of-this-world auction in New York as it holds its annual sale of rare and unusual meteorites.

There are 66 available lots in the sale, called "Deep Impact: Martian, Lunar and other Rare Meteorites." One item includes a doghouse from Costa Rica where a meteorite crashed through its tin roof in 2019.

While the German shepherd survived unharmed, the doghouse was left with a seven-inch hole in the roof. It is expected to sell for nearly $300,000.

A portion of a meteorite that struck Britain in 2021 will be up for auction. The Winchcombe meteorite shower on Feb. 28, 2021, was caught on video as it created a bright streak across the sky as it crashed into Earth.

"There were over 1,000 eyewitness accounts from across the entire U.K., as well as Ireland and northern Europe, with reports of a sonic boom in the local area," a report from Christie's said.

"The following morning, the Wilcock family discovered a pile of dark stones and powder on their driveway in the town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. Material from the impact site was collected into plastic bags that morning."

Christie's has been holding its meteorite event every year since 2014 with space rocks found around the world. This year's collection came from the United States, the Sahara desert, China, Russia, Argentina, Chile, Mali, France, Sweden, Venezuela and Mexico.

Some of the meteorites came from existing private collections while others have been recovered by professional meteorite hunters.

No comments:

Post a Comment