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New York auctions off space rocks
Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:26:29
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NY auctions famous meteorits.
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A New York auction house puts some of the world's most famous meteorites on the block in what is said to be the first sale of its kind.
The pieces which were gathered from collections around the world have rich colors, intricate patterns and embedded gemstones.
According to BBC news, one of the most interesting pieces, the Valera Meteorite, which struck a field in Venezuela in 1972 killing a cow, was sold for $1,300.
An iron meteorite from Siberia was sold at $123,000, and a US mailbox hit by a meteorite in 1984 fetched $83,000.
A meteorite specialist said that the auction was an enormous success which exceeded all expectations.
The majority of the pieces came from UK's Natural History Museum or the US Smithsonian Institution. However, many of the items were obtained from the Macovich collection in New York, which was assembled by meteorite enthusiasts, interested in the stones for their beauty and scientific importance.
TE/JC/HGH
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