ONE OF EARTH'S MOST RECENT ARRIVALS — A COMPLETE SLICE OF ABA PANU, Oyo, Nigeria 8°16’55.83"N, 3°34’1.72"E Chondrite / L3.6

This complete slice has an ellipsoidal light-colored clast in the upper right quadrant. Chondrules (for which chondrites are named) and chondrule fragments abound. Armored chondrules (each with a circumscribed wall of metallic iron-nickel and sulfide) are also in evidence. The cut surface is embellished by gleaming metal dispersed throughout. Modern cutting.
42 x 53 x 2 mm. (1⅔ x 2 x ⅛ in.) and 12.7 g.

A sample of one of Earth’s most recent visitors. On April 19, 2018 a large fireball detonated over southwestern Nigeria approximately 100 miles north of Lagos. Many stones were collected at multiple locations and the meteorite is named Abu Panu for the village near the center of the strewn field. Aba Panu is a primitive chondrite, which is to say it was not exposed to undue amounts of heat and pressure and is largely unmetamorphosed (unchanged) from the time it formed; in effect, what is seen here approximates the raw ingredients of our solar system.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalog note.