28 - Campo Del Cielo Meteorite (El Diablo)

Campo Del Cielo Meteorite (El Diablo) This meteorite is also called “The Beast” or “El Diablo” (because of his weight of 66.6 kilo). This Campo del Cielo meteorite is a nickel-iron meteorite, known as a coarse octahedrite from the size. Individuals such as this one, sporting classic features known as 'Regmagliphs' which are supposed to look like thumbprints can look like miniature asteroids. These meteorites are classified as polycrystalline, coarse octahedrites with a significant amount of silicate-graphite-troilite inclusions. They are much more valuable and sought-after for their sculpted forms. This meteorite here offered has been ripped from a larger mass upon undergoing an explosive force equivalent to numerous nuclear bombs — the result of this meteorite hitting Earth’s atmosphere while traveling at a speed of nearly 50,000 mph. Most nickel-iron meteorites would have rusted away in the hostile environment of earth subjected to thousands of years exposure to rain and oxygen. It is a small miracle and testament to the durability of the Campo that they still exist. Weight: ca. 66.6 kilo. LOCATION: Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Gran Chaco. (27°28' S, 60°35' W). Size: ca. 40 x 27.5 x 19,5 cm. PROVENANCE: iron meteorite. Dutch Private Collection NOTE: – Campo del Cielo means “Field of the Heavens” or “Sky” in Spanish and indicating that the locals had seen the fall, nearly 4,000 years ago after Campo del Cielo collided with Earth. Considering the enormous size and number of meteorites scattered over the landscape this must have been an earth-shattering event passed down over many generations. It was a “Campo” that was the first large meteorite ever displayed in a major museum — the British Museum of Natural History — and several large Campo del Cielo masses can be found today in the finest museums in the world. – It is estimated that the original parent body would have been about 800 tonnes before encountering the atmosphere. Breaking apart repeatedly high in the atmosphere many individuals have been ablated and etched into beautiful sculptured forms It is estimated that as much as another 100 tonnes may still be buried in the earth of Argentina. The meteorites are scattered in Argentina and part of Uruguay, over a large strewn field of about 70km long by 20km wide, an area of roughly 1000 square kilometer with an elongated shape that shows it's trajectory as it came to earth. including at least 26 impact craters the largest of which is over 115m in diameter. – To date more than 100 tonnes have been found, both 'individuals' which separated high enough in the atmosphere to have melted and formed a 'skin' or crust, and shrapnel, pieces from explosions closer to earth which did not melt or burn further on their final descent. The largest of these Gancedo weighs nearly 31 tonnes! El Chaco comes close at nearly 29 tonnes, among the largest meteorites ever found.