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| Vaca Muerta Meteorites |
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| Item # ME6V107001 Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite 15g "Marcellus" $60.00 |
"Marcellus"
a 15 gram natural (just as it was found) Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite Meteorite measuring 33mm x 24mm x 15mm
Retrieved from a fall in a strewnfield near Taltal, Chile, in the Atacama Desert in 1988. Mesosiderite (MES) Eucrite
This meteorite is natural, un-cut and un-polished with no coatings.
a 15 gram natural (just as it was found) Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite Meteorite measuring 33mm x 24mm x 15mm
Retrieved from a fall in a strewnfield near Taltal, Chile, in the Atacama Desert in 1988. Mesosiderite (MES) Eucrite
This meteorite is natural, un-cut and un-polished with no coatings.
Click on any photo to see a larger version
 |
| Rocks From Outer Space! |
Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite
Total Mass: exceeding 3782 kg
Found: 1861
Location: (25°50'S, 70°23'W) 60 km S.E. of Taltal, Atacama desert, Chile
Strewnfield: 11.5 km long, 2.1 km wide
Vaca Muerta (Dead Cow in Spanish) is a differentiated silicate and metal rich meteorite containing many
silicate and eucrite inclusion around 10% in volume surrounded by a matrix of mesosiderite composition. For
this meteorite to show such a varied and disrupted character, the Vaca Muerta parent body must have been
impacted several times by different types of meteorites to break up, mix, and fuse the various constituent
pieces. The metal inclusion of iron-nickel alloy in the mesosiderites, exhibits the same properties as
octahedrites (from Mike Reynolds, 2001 Falling Stars pg 77). All the Vaca Muerta metallic inclusions show
areas with finest Widmanstatten pattern of 0.1mm width band, being the rarest pattern inside of the
octahedrites groups.
Vaca Muerta was found in 1861 by a mining entrepreneur, who correctly identified it as celestial in origin. Later
visitors to the area concluded that the heavy, metallic pieces were silver or silver ore, (native iron is extremely
rare) and they are known to have removed large quantities (probably more than 2000 kg) to the mining town
Copiapo. About 20 fall-sites had been molested by miners, the rest were virgin. The precise location was
unknown for about 100 years, until rediscovered by Edmundo Martinez, in 1985.
In 1988, Holger Pedersen, Claudio Canut de Bon Senior, Claudio Canut de Bon Junior and Harri Lindgren
searched the strewnfield of the mesosiderite Vaca Muerta, which was originally found in 1861. The area, 11.5
km long, 2.1 km wide, is located about 60 km southeast of Taltal, Chile, in the Atacama Desert. It has yielded
80 meteorites with a total mass exceeding 3782 kg. Most fragments were found in an undisturbed state, but
some had been broken by prospectors. The present studies, in connection with historical records, indicate that
the original mass of Vaca Muerta exceeded 6 metric tons. One impact feature, somewhat modified by man,
consists of a 10.5-m diameter, 1.7-m deep hole, without an uplifted rim. Small masses were scattered up to 85
m from the hole. The search party spent about 100 man-days in the desert, searching for fragments, and
excavating them with great care. They recovered the large fragment No. 13, of which the main body, 46 kg, is
on display at La Serena Mineralogical Museum, Chile. Although most of the material Claudio Canut De Bon
found was donated to scientific institutions for curation (and NOTHING traded), he kept some samples for his
personal collection. Good thing too...the strewnfield is now empty.
We were lucky enough to obtain three specimens from Claudio Canut De Bon's
personal collection from his son Marcelo Canut De Bon in 2006. We kept one for
our personal collection and are offering some for sale. "Google search" Claudio
Canut De Bon for more information on this exciting find.
Claudio Canut De Bon "named" all his meteorites
as you will see in the descriptions below
I asked Marcelo what meaning the names had, his response...
An e-mail excerpt from Marcelo Canut De Bon;
"Hi, Dan. Thanks for writing. Your items should arrive shortly by the way. The specimens get their particular
name, (besides their MAIN name: VACA Muerta, of course) from different sources and inspirations, but the
branch collection I am putting here this month, have names from Saints for the most part (there are a few they
are from another branch from my collection with more peculiar names). Let me know when yours arrive. Thank
you again!"
Marcelo Canut de Bon
Total Mass: exceeding 3782 kg
Found: 1861
Location: (25°50'S, 70°23'W) 60 km S.E. of Taltal, Atacama desert, Chile
Strewnfield: 11.5 km long, 2.1 km wide
Vaca Muerta (Dead Cow in Spanish) is a differentiated silicate and metal rich meteorite containing many
silicate and eucrite inclusion around 10% in volume surrounded by a matrix of mesosiderite composition. For
this meteorite to show such a varied and disrupted character, the Vaca Muerta parent body must have been
impacted several times by different types of meteorites to break up, mix, and fuse the various constituent
pieces. The metal inclusion of iron-nickel alloy in the mesosiderites, exhibits the same properties as
octahedrites (from Mike Reynolds, 2001 Falling Stars pg 77). All the Vaca Muerta metallic inclusions show
areas with finest Widmanstatten pattern of 0.1mm width band, being the rarest pattern inside of the
octahedrites groups.
Vaca Muerta was found in 1861 by a mining entrepreneur, who correctly identified it as celestial in origin. Later
visitors to the area concluded that the heavy, metallic pieces were silver or silver ore, (native iron is extremely
rare) and they are known to have removed large quantities (probably more than 2000 kg) to the mining town
Copiapo. About 20 fall-sites had been molested by miners, the rest were virgin. The precise location was
unknown for about 100 years, until rediscovered by Edmundo Martinez, in 1985.
In 1988, Holger Pedersen, Claudio Canut de Bon Senior, Claudio Canut de Bon Junior and Harri Lindgren
searched the strewnfield of the mesosiderite Vaca Muerta, which was originally found in 1861. The area, 11.5
km long, 2.1 km wide, is located about 60 km southeast of Taltal, Chile, in the Atacama Desert. It has yielded
80 meteorites with a total mass exceeding 3782 kg. Most fragments were found in an undisturbed state, but
some had been broken by prospectors. The present studies, in connection with historical records, indicate that
the original mass of Vaca Muerta exceeded 6 metric tons. One impact feature, somewhat modified by man,
consists of a 10.5-m diameter, 1.7-m deep hole, without an uplifted rim. Small masses were scattered up to 85
m from the hole. The search party spent about 100 man-days in the desert, searching for fragments, and
excavating them with great care. They recovered the large fragment No. 13, of which the main body, 46 kg, is
on display at La Serena Mineralogical Museum, Chile. Although most of the material Claudio Canut De Bon
found was donated to scientific institutions for curation (and NOTHING traded), he kept some samples for his
personal collection. Good thing too...the strewnfield is now empty.
We were lucky enough to obtain three specimens from Claudio Canut De Bon's
personal collection from his son Marcelo Canut De Bon in 2006. We kept one for
our personal collection and are offering some for sale. "Google search" Claudio
Canut De Bon for more information on this exciting find.
Claudio Canut De Bon "named" all his meteorites
as you will see in the descriptions below
I asked Marcelo what meaning the names had, his response...
An e-mail excerpt from Marcelo Canut De Bon;
"Hi, Dan. Thanks for writing. Your items should arrive shortly by the way. The specimens get their particular
name, (besides their MAIN name: VACA Muerta, of course) from different sources and inspirations, but the
branch collection I am putting here this month, have names from Saints for the most part (there are a few they
are from another branch from my collection with more peculiar names). Let me know when yours arrive. Thank
you again!"
Marcelo Canut de Bon
| Item # ME6V107002 Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite 51g "Genevieve" $204.00 |
| From the Personal Collection of Claudio Canut De Bon, Universidad de La Serena, Chile "Genevieve" A super 51 gram natural (just as it was found) Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite Meteorite measuring 47mm x 34mm x 22mm Retrieved from a fall in a strewnfield near Taltal, Chile, in the Atacama Desert in 1988. Mesosiderite (MES) Eucrite This meteorite is natural, un-cut and un-polished with no coatings. |
Mesosiderites are a class of stony-iron meteorites consisting of about equal parts of metallic nickel-iron and silicate. They are breccias with an irregular texture, silicates and metal occur often in lumps or pebbles, as well as in fine-grained intergrowths. The silicate part contains olivine, pyroxenes and Ca-rich feldspar, and is similar in composition to eucrites and diogenites. |
| Item # ME6V0209002 Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite 9g Sliced and Polished $36.00 |
| Item # ME6V0209001 Vaca Muerta Mesosiderite 9g Sliced and Polished $36.00 |
Vaca (sliced) in plastic display box...an
excellent choice for small display size
approximately 20 x 15 x 13mm
(This polish will need to be maintained
as it oxidizes in normal atmosphere)
excellent choice for small display size
approximately 20 x 15 x 13mm
(This polish will need to be maintained
as it oxidizes in normal atmosphere)
Vaca (sliced) in plastic display box...an
excellent choice for small display size
approximately 20 x 17 x 12mm
(This polish will need to be maintained
as it oxidizes in normal atmosphere)
excellent choice for small display size
approximately 20 x 17 x 12mm
(This polish will need to be maintained
as it oxidizes in normal atmosphere)
| Notice to Our Customers We will be closed from May 18th through August 15th 2012 to relocate our business. Orders placed during this time will not be shipped until after August 15th. Purchases or Reservations will be honored in the date order they are received. 1st purchaser is served 1st. |