* Astronomy

Pyroxene-rich Pallasite
Black Vermillion River, Kansas

In 1991 the Vermillion meteorite was found in Marshall Country, Kansas in a wheat field near the Black Vermillion River. While the entire mass is just under 34 kilograms, it is the largest member of a rather small group of meteorites referred to as pyroxene-rich pallasites. There are only two-the other was found in Antarctica and weighs less than 55 grams, or about 3.5 ounces. For the sophisticated collector, this is a complete slice of an extremely difficult to obtain meteorite-and it is quite possibly the first time it has ever been made available at auction. As a result of the amount of material lost due to cutting, grinding and polishing, less than 25- kilos of material exist-and a very large fraction of this amount is forever locked away in the world's foremost museums. The specimen seen here was acquired by the Macovich Collection of meteorites. Pyroxene is a silicate that is found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. "Pyroxene" comes from the Greek words for fire and stranger, an etymology that relates to crystals of pyroxene seen in volcanic glass. In the Vermillion meteorite, crystals of pyroxene are embedded within the metallic matrix as well as within the larger crystals of olivine. A notable offering for meteorite cognoscenti. 171 x 123 x 5 mm (6.75 x 5 x .2 inches) and 595.7 grams (1.3 pounds).
Provenance: Macovich Collection.

Read more