Gebel Kamil and Mundrabilla Meteorite Additions.

From time to time, I stumble upon Meteorite Specimen that I just can’t walk by.  These rocks from space often times grip me in ways that are hard to explain, and I often feel compelled to purchase them.  Sometimes it’s from a significant fall, sometimes it’s due to a fascinating shape or color, and sometimes it just fulfills the compulsion of the moment.  This time around, I’ve chosen two specimens to add to the collection.

Gebel Kamil

This is a beautiful acquisition.  This rock is relatively flat with only about 21mm thickness.  It has this really cool snakeskin texture on the one side, and an amazing sheen over a dark brown patina on the front side. The regmaglypts (thumbprint shapes) are teeny structures that measure smaller than a single millimeter.  There are a variety of melting indicators, fractures, and bends on the rocks’ edges.  These features indicate that the sample is a shrapnel from a larger event.

Gebel Kamil 220.1g
Photo Credit: Suzanne Morrison/Geoff Notkin/Aerolite Meteorites
220.1g Gebel Kamil Meteorite
Photo Credit: Suzanne Morrison/Geoff Notkin/Aerolite Meteorites


Mass: 220.1g
Dimensions: 59mm x 58mm x 21mm
Found Date: 2/19/2009

Kamil Crater - Egypt
Kamil Crater - Egypt (Credit: www.meteorman.org)

There has been a lot of news kicking around out there about the Gebel Kamil fall in Egypt.  This is a recent find (Feb 2009), and has resulted in some relatively fresh and wonderful samples.  The reason this fall has been in the news is that the New York Times recently ran an article discussing unethical meteorite dealers, a black market and their evil plans to speculate the scientific samples of this crater.  This is complete bull feces.  This article took a lot of heat over its insinuations on collectors like myself, as well the folks who procure and distribute the rocks to people like me.  There were accusations that collectors are removing important scientific samples from public reach…etc…etc…etc.  This is such a horrific representation of the meteorite collecting community, made by an author who more or less was fabricating their own “Blood Diamond” drama.  Bad form…bad form.

You can go to this site to learn the real details of most of the finds related to this fall: http://www.b14643.de/Sahara/Kamil_Meteor_Crater/index.htm.  You will find an extensive record and a photo-journal of the scientific samples…etc..

NOTE: If any accredited scientist wants to study a cross section or sample of my meteorite, please contact me…  And also – completely disregard this New York Times article if you happen to read it!

So since the New York Times ran this ludicrous “Black Market” fabricated news story, I had to own one of these.  Gebel Kamil is a crater that has been recently discovered in Egypt, and was actually found through studying satellite imagery used for Google Maps/Earth products.   Expeditions were sent out to scour the area, and in February of 2009, thousands of samples were returned.  In a 2010 expedition 5000+ more specimen were returned.  And if you buy the portrayal painted by the New York Times article, it sounds like 2x that amount has been smuggled into some devious underground black market (not true).

It is a wonderful crater!  Lots of fresh features to it, and mother nature hasn’t covered it up quite yet 🙂

Kamil Crater
Kamil Crater, Egypt

Mundrabilla

I’ve been eyeing this piece for about six months now.  I didn’t have any Mundrabilla meteorites in my collection, and of course this one is superb in shape, texture, and color.

Mundrabilla 119g
Mundrabilla 119g - Credit: Suzanne Morrison/Geoff Notkin/Aerolite Meteorites
Mundrabilla 119g
Mundrabilla 119g - Credit: Suzanne Morrison/Geoff Notkin/Aerolite Meteorites

The Mundrabilla is a classic collectors piece that is found in Western Australia in 1911.  They often come in shapely pieces such as this one, and almost always have this strange orange/ochre patina.  The desert sheen on this specimen is also impressive. Lots of flow lines and potential orientation on this piece.

Mass: 119.3g
Dimensions: 52mm x 48mm x 34mm
Type: Iron Meteorite IAB

Here’s an image I took to offset the meteorite from the red background above.  Check out the orange contrast on the blue background.

These meteorites are both excellent specimen.  As I often do, I purchased them from Geoff Notkin (@geoffnotkin) of the MeteoriteMen.  Geoff has one of the finest meteorite selections going in his online store called Aerolite Meteorites (www.aerolite.org).

Into the ammunition can and into the safe they go to protect them from the harsh Northeast, US environment.  Until I pull the group out to gawk at them…

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