HED Eucrite, breccia Sahara Desert

Eucrite melt breccias are rare. There are less than 40 on record and this offering contains two of the best examples: NWA 11329, which is the largest transitional eucrite breccia (see lot 65) on record, and the current offering which is part of the NWA 12342 event. This specimen is one of the relatively few meteorites with a known return address; it originates from the asteroid Vesta located between Mars and Jupiter. The second largest asteroid in our solar system, Vesta is the only large asteroid with a basalt-covered surface. In addition, data transmitted from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which orbited Vesta in 2011-12, provided reams of further evidence supporting the notion of Vestan origin. The delivery mechanism to Earth required Vesta’s collision with another asteroid, launching material off its surface into interplanetary space and ultimately into an Earth-crossing orbit.

The exterior surface of this specimen is rounded and smooth; at the top of the specimen, a notable hole with a 16-mm diameter is perched (and it should be noted that holes are exceedingly rare in stone meteorites). Impact melt penetrates and courses through the khaki-hued matrix. The cut and polished surface reveals more of the same in finer resolution as the ability to discern mineral grains is now in evidence. The lower right of the cut face consists of a large pocket of graphite-hued crystallized impact melt. Two parallel veins of melt run on either side of the hole. Testament to the cataclysmic force of an asteroid impact onto the surface of the asteroid Vesta, this is a select example of a fascinating meteorite.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.


79 x 65 x 17mm (3 x 2.5 x 0.66 in.) and 62.1g