50,000 years ago, a huge iron-nickel
meteorite or dense cluster of meteorites, estimated to
have been 150
feet across and weighing several hundred tons, struck the rocky
Arizona plain with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. Meteor Crater, as it
is commonly known is the best-preserved meteorite crater
on the face of the earth.
Several years ago during International
negotiations for ONE antique cast iron cap gun in
appreciation anticipating a successful business
transaction I shipped with my payment a present
of an assortment of Florida fossils, my life-long
interest and hobby pursuit. In return, much to my
surprise I
received
THREE antique cast iron cap guns and TWO meteorites as "thank-you" gifts!
Later I gave my brother his choice between the
rare Russian Meteorite, he studied about Russia,
the Russian language, speaks Korean as fluently
as English, or the one from Meteor Crater, Arizona because he had visited
it during his years while stationed in Babbit,
Nevada.
I have tektites and several
"personally-found-in-Florida"
fulgurites; lightning struck fused sand in my odd
collection.
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Here is your opportunity to get a choice CANYON DIABLO Iron
Octahedrite METEORITE - No Reserve and starting at just $.99 Cents!
Shipping
& Handling is $5.00 by USPS First Class
Priority Mail. Insurance is extra and required.
Included
with your specimen is a 4" X 8.5"
DESCRIPTION CARD, which states:
CANYON
DIABLO METEORITE
The Canyon Diablo Meteorite comes from
the plains around the famous Meteor Crater in
northern Arizona, 35 miles east of Flagstaff. The
meteorite is named after the nearest landmark,
which is the winding, dry, Canyon Diablo 3 miles
west of the impact site.
Meteor crater had it's birth approximately
50,000 years ago when a huge iron-nickel
meteorite, most likely a piece of an asteroid,
streaked through the Northern Arizona sky,
impacting in the flat plains and leaving a crater
4000 feet across and 700 feet deep. The meteorite
is estimated to have been about 160 feet across
and
weighing several hundred thousand tons. The earth
was struck with an explosive force in excess of
20
million tons of TNT.
Modern settlers did not discover meteor
crater until the 1870s. It was at first thought
to be
of volcanic origin. It was not until the early
1900s
that the theory was posed that Meteor Crater was
caused by a meteorite impact. There was a belief
by Daniel Moreau Barringer that a huge meteorite
weighing millions of tons must lie below the
floor
of the crater. A mining claim was filed and
drilling
operations began in 1905 in search of the
meteorite. Drilling continued off and on until
1929
when it became evident that there was no
meteorite
to be found. A meteorite of this great size and
traveling at the speed required to blow such a
crater
in the Arizona plains also generated enough
kinetic
energy to generate enough heat to vaporize the
meteorite nearly completely.
Most of the Canyon Diablo meteorites
have been found on the plains surrounding Meteor
Crater's rim. They were scattered for miles upon
the violent impact. In some of the shocked
meteorites, the pressures generated were so great
as
to transform small pieces of graphite into
microscopic diamonds.
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