Micrometeorite | NMM 3872 - Strömstad | Barred olivine

Product detailed description

Billions of years ago, somewhere in the distant universe, there was a giant star. Its insatiable gravity fed an unimaginable amount of energy. Constantly converting lighter elements into heavier ones, it defied irreversible fate for hundreds of millions of years. But one day, the fuel ran out, and in a huge explosion, the star blew most of its mass as microscopic particles into deep space. Most of these grains of matter eventually formed into new suns, planets, moons or asteroids. But a large fraction of them have spent all their time travelling alone. As grains of dust, they came into existence, and as grains of dust they still exist today. Stardust.

One such grain of stardust collided with the Earth. It was lucky enough not to evaporate as it passed through the atmosphere. It merely melted and formed into a shape reminiscent of the Death Star. By continuing coincidence, it was found in Strömstad Shopping Centre, Strömstad, Sweden on September 21, 2022.

This was followed by a detailed examination under an electron microscope, a unique photographic process (which involves focusing and compositing dozens of partial photographs for maximum photo quality), and compositional analysis for definitive confirmation of extraterrestrial origin.

Micrometeorite NMM 3872 is a large (~0.4 mm) type ""barred olivine"" (BO) with an extremely shiny ball of nickel-free metal in the front part. It has been disputed whether pure nickel-free iron exists in the universe, but here it does. The sphere is surrounded by a magnetite rim and this stone is one of the very special pieces in our collection.

If you decide to be one of the world's first private owners of a micrometeorite and order from us, you will receive not only the stone itself, but everything you need to enjoy this natural unique to the fullest. The package includes an ultra-high resolution digital photograph, the autobiographical book Star Hunter by Jon Larsen and of course the meteorite itself along with a signed certificate of authenticity.

The stone is housed in a durable case with a covered slide-out microscope slide. It is therefore possible to enjoy its unique beauty at any time by observing it yourself under a microscope.
---------------------

Provenance: the catalog number refers to the NMM Archives, the index to Jon Larsen's Project Stardust collection, a reference collection for urban micrometeorites. The stone was found, managed and collected by Larsen and is in pristine condition, straight from space.