Christie’s presents Deep Impact: Martian Lunar and Other Rare Meteorites, an online-only sale of rare meteorites open for bid between 9-23 February 2021. The weight of every known meteorite is less than the world’s annual output of gold, and this sale offers spectacular examples for every collector, available at estimates ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The sale will offer 72 of the 75 lots at no reserve, with estimates starting at $250. Select highlights from the sale will be on view until 10 February at Christie’s New York by appointment only.

Included in Deep Impact are a meteorite that contains the oldest matter mankind can touch and another that contains the raw ingredients of our planets. There are a dozen offerings of the Moon and the planet Mars and another dozen from some of the most famous museums in the world — as well as meteorites containing gems from outer space.

A highlight from the sale is a highly aesthetic oriented stone meteorite (estimate: $50,000-80,000; offered at no reserve), weighing nearly 7.2kg (16lbs). Unlike 99% of all other meteorites, this meteorite did not tumble or invert as it plunged to Earth but maintained a stable orientation throughout its descent. The surface that faced Earth showcases elongated flight marks that radiate outwards in this compelling, extraterrestrial aerodynamic form.