Lot 47
47
MASSIVE DRONINO METEORITE — AMONG THE LARGEST KNOWN TO EXIST
These lots have been imported from outside the EU … Read more
MASSIVE DRONINO METEORITE — AMONG THE LARGEST KNOWN TO EXIST

Iron, ataxite (ungrouped)Ryazan district, Russia (54° 44' N, 41° 25' E)

Details
MASSIVE DRONINO METEORITE — AMONG THE LARGEST KNOWN TO EXIST
Iron, ataxite (ungrouped)
Ryazan district, Russia (54° 44' N, 41° 25' E)
With a surface texture throughout that is unique to Dronino, hints of this meteorite’s original shape — feint ridges and shallow scoops — are evident. Curiously, the reverse showcases the unusual texture of parallel arcs more commonly associated with smaller Dronino specimens.
495 x 279 x 134mm (19½ x 11 x 5¼in.)
64kg (141lbs)
Literature
Grokhovsky, V.I., et al. (2005), “Dronino: An Ancient Iron Meteorite Shower in Russia.” Lunar and Planetary Science, 306, 1692.
Special notice
These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Lot Essay

Similar to the previous two lots, Dronino meteorites are from an otherwise unsampled asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter, a determination made from an analysis of its chemical composition. Dronino’s exceedingly low gallium and gold percentages leave Dronino in a class by itself — quite literally: it has been classified as not belonging to a known meteorite group, and is therefore referred to as being UNGR (ungrouped) — a sought-after designation for both the scientific and the collecting communities. Given its unique chemical make-up, one would expect that as a result of Dronino meteorites having interacted with Earth’s geochemistry for more than 1000 years before being excavated, there would be interesting results. Dronino does not disappoint. There is no other meteorite that looks like Dronino, and no North American museum has a Dronino meteorite as large as this imposing modern form from outer space.

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