Lot 63
Hambleton
The Robert Elliott Meteorite Collection Part II
Auction: 17 August 2011 at 15:00 BST
Description
main mass with polished end piece
Dimensions
5.8kg
Footnote
Hambleton (Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England) Pallasite (stony-iron) - found 2005:
The Hambleton meteorite was discovered in the heart of "James Herriot Country" in North Yorkshire. A single mass weighing 17.6kg was found by Rob and Irene Elliott while hunting for meteorites in the county.
Pallasites are extremely rare. They are formed deep within the core/mantle boundary layer of a large asteroid, and account for just 1% of all known meteorites.
The Hambleton meteorite has been the subject of a great deal of study at the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at the Open University. The exciting possibility of a potential new mineral recognised within the matrix of Hambleton continues to be explored by scientists.
Testing has shown Hambleton to have been on Earth for around 220 years. This raises the possibility that Hambleton is associated with The Great Meteor of August 18th 1783, based on observations of the meteor's track, passing over the east coast of Scotland and England.
Hambleton is by far the rarest and scientifically most interesting meteorite recovered within the United Kingdom to date, and the jewel in the crown of British meteorites. Offered here is the the main mass: the largest piece of Hambleton in existence.