{"product_id":"genuine-sikhote-alin-meteorite-in-glass-dome-20","title":"Genuine Sikhote-Alin Meteorite in Glass Dome","description":"\u003cp\u003eOwn a collectible from out of this world.\u003cbr\u003eThis famous fall was witnessed on the morning of February 12, 1947 in Eastern Siberia. Imagine the site of a fireball as bright as the sun in the sky heading towards earth. \u003cbr\u003eIt’s classification is Iron, IIAB, Coarsest Octahedrite \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"12:1-12:285\"\u003eYou are not just looking at a rock; you are looking at a frozen moment from one of the most violent and spectacular cosmic events in modern history. This fragment is from the Sikhote-Alin meteorite, and its twisted, jagged shape tells an incredible story of its fiery arrival on Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-sourcepos=\"14:1-14:51\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fall: A Fireball Brighter Than the Sun\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"16:1-16:305\"\u003eImagine a cold, clear morning in the snowy wilderness of Siberia. \u003cspan class=\"citation-72\"\u003eIt’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-72\"\u003eFebruary 12, 1947\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-72 citation-end-72\"\u003e.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Suddenly, the sky is torn apart by a point of light more brilliant than the sun itself. A massive fireball, weighing over 100 tons, blazes across the atmosphere at more than 30,000 miles per hour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"18:1-18:287\"\u003eWitnesses were stunned. The intense heat could be felt on their skin, and deafening sonic booms, like artillery fire, echoed for hundreds of miles. \u003cspan class=\"citation-71 citation-end-71\"\u003eThe fireball left a thick trail of smoke and dust that hung in the sky for hours, a stark reminder of the celestial visitor.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"2\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"22:1-22:93\"\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\u003c\/code\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-sourcepos=\"24:1-24:52\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is \"Shrapnel\" and How is it Different?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"26:1-26:132\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-70 citation-end-70\"\u003eThe Sikhote-Alin fall produced two very different kinds of meteorites, which is part of what makes it so fascinating.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col data-sourcepos=\"28:1-31:0\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"28:1-29:0\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"28:4-28:339\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-69\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-69\"\u003eIndividuals:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-69 citation-end-69\"\u003e These are smoother, sculpted pieces that often feature \"regmaglypts\"—thumbprint-like scoops on their surface.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"4\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e These fragments broke off high in the atmosphere and were slowed down by air resistance, allowing the air to melt and shape them like a piece of clay held against a fast-moving stream of water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"30:1-31:0\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"30:5-30:367\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShrapnel (Like This Piece):\u003c\/strong\u003e The main body of the meteoroid did not slow down enough. \u003cspan class=\"citation-68 citation-end-68\"\u003eThe immense pressure and heat became too much, and at an altitude of only 3.5 miles (5.6 km), it violently exploded.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"5\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"citation-67 citation-end-67\"\u003eThis catastrophic detonation ripped the solid iron body apart, creating a shower of jagged, twisted, and sharp-edged fragments.\u003csup class=\"superscript\" data-turn-source-index=\"6\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"32:1-32:360\"\u003eThese pieces are called \u003cstrong\u003eshrapnel\u003c\/strong\u003e because they are the direct result of a mid-air explosion, exactly like the metal fragments from an exploding artillery shell. Their sharp, violent shapes are physical proof of the incredible forces that tore them apart. When you hold a piece of Sikhote-Alin shrapnel, you are holding a tangible piece of that cosmic blast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-sourcepos=\"36:1-36:38\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn Ancient Wanderer's Journey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul data-sourcepos=\"38:3-41:0\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"38:3-39:0\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"38:5-38:395\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Where did this piece of iron come from? It is the metallic core of an ancient protoplanet, or a very large asteroid, that formed along with Earth and our solar system. This body was once large enough to have a molten core, a mantle, and a crust, but a catastrophic collision with another object shattered it billions of years ago. This fragment is a piece of that long-lost core.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"40:3-41:0\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"40:5-40:240\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e This meteorite is approximately \u003cstrong\u003e4.56 billion years old\u003c\/strong\u003e—as old as the Sun and the Earth itself. It wandered through the cold vacuum of space for millions of years before its journey finally ended in the mountains of Siberia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-sourcepos=\"42:1-42:38\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Do We Know How Old It Is?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"44:1-44:133\"\u003eScientists determine the age of meteorites through a process called \u003cstrong\u003eradiometric dating\u003c\/strong\u003e. Think of it like a perfect, atomic clock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"46:1-46:432\"\u003eCertain elements in the meteorite, like Uranium, are naturally unstable and \"decay\" into other, more stable elements, like Lead, at a constant, predictable rate. By carefully measuring the ratio of the original \"parent\" element to the stable \"daughter\" element, scientists can calculate with incredible accuracy how much time has passed since the iron in this meteorite first crystallized from a molten state, 4.5 billion years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"48:1-48:218\"\u003eWhen you purchase one of these historic specimens, you acquire a true piece of space and time—a witness to the birth of our solar system and a survivor of one of the most powerful meteorite impacts in recorded history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-sourcepos=\"50:1-50:5\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-sourcepos=\"52:1-52:45\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrusted Sources \u0026amp; Further Reading\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"54:1-54:68\"\u003eFor those who wish to learn more, here are some excellent resources:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-sourcepos=\"56:3-61:173\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"56:3-57:117\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Meteoritical Society's entry for Sikhote-Alin:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the official scientific record of the meteorite, with technical data about the fall and composition.\n\u003cul data-sourcepos=\"57:7-57:117\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"57:7-57:117\"\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lpi.usra.edu\/meteor\/metbull.php?code=23593\" class=\"ng-star-inserted\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLink: Meteoritical Bulletin Database - Sikhote-Alin\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"58:3-59:122\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNatural History Museum, London:\u003c\/strong\u003e An excellent overview of iron meteorites and their origins.\n\u003cul data-sourcepos=\"59:7-59:122\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-sourcepos=\"59:7-59:122\"\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/types-of-meteorites.html\" class=\"ng-star-inserted\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLink: NHM - Iron Meteorites\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47168227836044,"sku":"Sikhote Dome F","price":139.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0621\/3697\/5500\/files\/Meteoritesindomesmarch30-16.jpg?v=1774983202","url":"https:\/\/fossilsonline.com\/products\/genuine-sikhote-alin-meteorite-in-glass-dome-20","provider":"Fossils Online","version":"1.0","type":"link"}