El Sauz Meteorite. Chondrite, L6. Rio Grande Valley, El Sauz Village,Starr County, Texas, USA - (26°36'25.1 "N, 98°44'...

Description

El Sauz Meteorite

El Sauz Meteorite
Chondrite, L6
Rio Grande Valley, El Sauz Village,Starr County, Texas, USA - (26°36'25.1 "N, 98°44'42.0"W)
Witnessed Fall: February 15, 2023, 17:22 CST (23:22:40)

On February 15, 2023, at around 5:30 PM in the evening, a fireball was witnessed over South Texas, representing an approximately 1,000-pound meteor traveling at nearly 30,000 miles per hour. With a force equal to 8 tons of TNT, the fiery bolide exploded some 20 miles above the Earth. While the majority burned up, an estimated 50 to 100 pounds made it through the atmosphere, impacting the surface as meteorites and meteorite fragments. The El Sauz fall, as it was named, was going to be a major celestial event, and the story of its recovery was a legendary tale in folklore of the Lone Star State.

Meteorite hunter Robert Ward had been in contact with Dr. Marc Fries, a planetary scientist at NASA, who interpreted Doppler radar returns indicating the fireball may have resulted in meteorites hitting the ground. "Meteorite Cowboy" Ward then called his friend and colleague Phil Mani, who instantly began an effort to determine the location of the El Sauz strew field. Attorney, and serious collector, Mani immediately noticed land, in ironically named Starr County, Texas, where the strewn field was likely to be located was private ranchlands owned by a longtime friend and associate who he contacted with the exciting news. Donned in snake protector chaps for the rattlesnakes, Ward and Mani set out on a hunt for extraterrestrial material. In a relatively short time, success was achieved.

Fighting through substantial brush on the Coates Ranch, the dynamic duo was poised to make the discovery that did not elude them for long. Mani found a grouping of fragments that included this spectacular 117-gram specimen. Some of El Sauz hit branches of mesquite trees, motivating 'cosmic philosopher' Dr. Fries to comment, "Meteorite versus mesquite. Mesquite wins! The universe has spoken" when told of their discovery. Collected with plastic baggies, the "fresh" El Sauz has often been untouched by human hands, and such is still the case with this pristine example. This IS the FIRST of El Sauz to be offered for sale at auction; this piece represents a most unique acquisition opportunity.

The shattered meteorites reveal a light gray stony interior ideal for classification purposes in terms of rock lithology, which was submitted as an Ordinary Chondrite L6 under the name "El Sauz" as is customary nomenclature related to the nearest community or landmark where meteorites landed. The contrasting, black matte fusion crust makes this material even more visually captivating. With incredible texture on both the interior and exterior, coupled with the virtually unweathered aspect, this specimen is near perfect in terms of condition. This is simply one superlative, fresh meteorite.

Pieces of El Sauz have been donated to the Monnig Meteorite Gallery at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and displayed at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, furthering the imprint of the El Sauz Meteorite across Texas. This meteorite, especially this example, is as visually aesthetic as it is significant, as a remarkable new find. There is certainly nothing ordinary about this L group and Type 6 chondrite.
Measurements: 2.84 x 2.23 x 1.06 inches (7.22 x 5.66 x 2.70 cm), weighs 117 grams

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