Iron meteorite, coarse octahedrite - IAB, Gran Chaco, Argentina
Few cosmic impacts during our planet’s tumultuous history are as legendary as the Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) event. Approximately 5,600 years ago what was the core of an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter rained down over what is now Argentina. The fireball had a long and shallow flight path, as evidenced by the lengthy elliptical strewn field. The larger masses formed craters and over twenty have been documented. Although it’s likely prehistoric inhabitants of the area used the metallic surface fragments for tools or weapons, Campo del Cielo first entered the history books in 1576 when invading Spanish Conquistadors made note of the existence of an abundant valley of iron. It might be noted the first meteorite at the British Museum of Natural History was a Campo del Cielo.
Iron meteorites like this offering are from the core of an asteroid that exploded apart following an impact with another asteroid. This particular offering, however, is a most unusual example which evocatively conveys 'the ties that bond.' To explain, in the course of their formation, iron meteorites experience long cooling curves which provides enough time for its molecules to orient into their crystalline habits, and this specimen happens to be two interlocking crystals. While there is a little bit of wiggle room between them, they are not going anywhere without one another because they are made of what is essentially extraterrestrial steel. This wonderfully engaging offering, which has a bright chrome patina with charcoal hued recesses, is accompanied by a magnetic armature so it can be oriented as you prefer…with the understanding these two intertwined specimens from outer space will always travel as one.
57 x 37 x 30mm (2.25 x 1.5 x 1 in.) and 166.6 grams.
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