Lot 32
Gatuto Meteorite--Largest Complete Individual Recovered from a Witnessed Fall
18 – 28 May 2021, 10:00 PDT
Los AngelesSold for US$24,062.50 inc. premium
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Gatuto Meteorite--Largest Complete Individual Recovered from a Witnessed Fall
L6 Meteorite
Gatuto, near Mount Kenya National Park, Kirinyaga County, Kenya
Around 8:27 pm on April 24th, 2020, Josphat Gakere was outside with his family in the foothills of Mount Kenya National Park. They were startled by glowing lights in the sky and then several loud detonations and what they thought was a bomb exploding. Moments later they said it felt like an earthquake as the 6.2 kilo meteorite crash landed only 15 meters away from where they stood. The family, frightened from what they experienced, scampered in every direction then quickly regrouped to find the cause. Surveying the property, Josphat discovered his juvenile maize plants were missing. Instead, there was a 1-meter-wide hole where his crops once grew. The next morning, investigation into what caused the damage led to the exciting discovery of this complete 6.2 kg meteorite embedded 3 feet into the ground. The present owner purchased this large specimen soon after the fall occurred. Coated with a black fusion crust, small broken areas reveal an interior which is light gray in color with a sugary appearance. This was an important witnessed fall with only about 25 kilos of total known weight recovered. Weighing 6.2 kilograms (13.5 lbs) and measuring 203.3 x 177.8 x 127mm (8 x 7 x 5 in)
Gatuto, near Mount Kenya National Park, Kirinyaga County, Kenya
Around 8:27 pm on April 24th, 2020, Josphat Gakere was outside with his family in the foothills of Mount Kenya National Park. They were startled by glowing lights in the sky and then several loud detonations and what they thought was a bomb exploding. Moments later they said it felt like an earthquake as the 6.2 kilo meteorite crash landed only 15 meters away from where they stood. The family, frightened from what they experienced, scampered in every direction then quickly regrouped to find the cause. Surveying the property, Josphat discovered his juvenile maize plants were missing. Instead, there was a 1-meter-wide hole where his crops once grew. The next morning, investigation into what caused the damage led to the exciting discovery of this complete 6.2 kg meteorite embedded 3 feet into the ground. The present owner purchased this large specimen soon after the fall occurred. Coated with a black fusion crust, small broken areas reveal an interior which is light gray in color with a sugary appearance. This was an important witnessed fall with only about 25 kilos of total known weight recovered. Weighing 6.2 kilograms (13.5 lbs) and measuring 203.3 x 177.8 x 127mm (8 x 7 x 5 in)
Footnotes
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the International Meteorite Collectors Association, John Higgins, IMCA #9822, dated February 8, 2021.
Follow this link to see a video of this meteorite:
https://redredphoto.sirv.com/Spins/Gatuto/Gatuto%20Main%20Mass/Gatuto%20Main%20Mass.spin
