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Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) meteorites are the result of a cataclysmic collision between asteroids. When a liberated metallic mass struck Earth’s upper atmosphere about 5,000 years ago, the result was further fragmentation. The larger meteorites struck the ground at such a high velocity that an array of at least 26 impact craters formed, the largest measuring a football field in diameter. Spanish Conquistadors in Argentina were the first to document the meteorites in the 16th Century, but never for an instant considered their extraterrestrial origin.
Surprisingly dense, a large shallow scoop containing smaller sockets is delimited between two peaks in this winsome meteorite. The reverse surface is slightly convex. A pewter patina with graphite-hued accents blanket the finely stippled texture. This engaging meteorite is the result of both extraterrestrial and terrestrial sculpting: the effects of blazing frictional heating during its descent through Earth’s atmosphere along with its multi-millennial exposure to the elements while perched on Earth’s surface. Bright and attractive overall, this is an exemplary meteorite from a historic meteorite shower.
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.
131 x 139 x 87mm (5 x 5.5 x 3.5 in.) 3249.2 grams (7 lbs)