Mining Institute

Silicide Spherules from Space Fetch Astronomical Prices at Auction

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 7, 2023

Extreme rarity is the primary but not the only reason why the choicest pieces of space debris command the highest prices.

Key Points: 
  • Extreme rarity is the primary but not the only reason why the choicest pieces of space debris command the highest prices.
  • Iron silicide spherules offer a first-hand perspective into neglected phenomena"- says the lead author of the study, Sergei Batovrin, who found silicide spherules in the Ural Mountains.
  • For collectors, silicide spherules are probably the only opportunity to touch an artifact from the cosmic calamity of a grand scale.
  • Fragments of large silicide spherules with a combined weight of 3.5 grams fetched $42,500 or $11,830 per gram.

According to Silicide Spherules From Space, Catastrophic Cosmic Impacts on Earth are Far More Frequent Than Scientists Thought

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Multiple similar finds of silicide spherules worldwide indicate that large-scale impacts capable of delivering ejecta to space have been more frequent in geological history than suggested by known evidence of cratering.

Key Points: 
  • Multiple similar finds of silicide spherules worldwide indicate that large-scale impacts capable of delivering ejecta to space have been more frequent in geological history than suggested by known evidence of cratering.
  • The reported data shows that silicide spherules have condensed from vapor plume ejected beyond the atmosphere and have ablated on atmospheric reentry at a cosmic velocity exceeding 13 km/s.
  • The chemical composition of iron silicide spherules is closely corresponding to the 1893K 1154K temperature span of condensation sequences predicted for carbon-rich gas.
  • Iron silicide spherules indicate that cosmic impacts of catastrophic magnitude are far more frequent in geological history than suggested by evidence of cratering discovered so far.