The Sikhote-Alin event was the largest meteorite shower in recorded history. After breaking off its parent asteroid, a huge iron mass wandered through interplanetary space until encountering Earth on February 12, 1947. A fireball brighter than the Sun — it created moving shadows in broad daylight — sailed over Siberia’s Sikhote-Alin Mountains. It was seen to explode at an altitude of only five kilometers and sonic booms were heard at distances up to 300 kilometers from the point of impact. This specimen originates from this low-altitude explosion. There are no aerodynamic markings from frictional heating in the Earth’s atmosphere, unlike other Sikhote Alin meteorites in this offering (see lots 1, 7, and 57).

This is a core sample of a shattered asteroid that exploded at low altitude above Earth. Its finely textured, striated surface is blanketed in a charcoal patina with platinum accents. The striations on this shrapnel-like mass are testament to the immense shearing force exerted on a meteorite that explodes in the lower atmosphere. The reverse is largely flat and bereft of any banding, which is indicative of cleavage along a crystalline plane. This is a fascinating example of a cataclysmic event frozen in time from the largest meteorite shower of modern times.

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.


91 x 81 x 25mm (3.5 x 3 x 1 in.) and 391.7g (0.85 lbs)