{"title":"Impactites and Tektites","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eImpactites and tektites are both products of powerful meteorite impacts, but they form in different ways. Impactites are rocks that have been altered, fractured, melted, or transformed by the extreme pressures and temperatures generated when an asteroid or comet strikes Earth. They can range from shattered breccias to rocks containing high-pressure minerals that provide evidence of the impact event. Tektites, on the other hand, are natural glass objects formed when terrestrial rock is melted and ejected high into the atmosphere during a major impact. As this molten material cools while flying through the air, it solidifies into distinctive glassy shapes such as spheres, droplets, buttons, and teardrops before falling back to Earth. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"libyan-desert-glass-596g-unique-impactite-w-green-coloring-mystery-inclusion","title":"Libyan Desert Glass, 596g UNIQUE Impactite w\/ Green Coloring \u0026 Mystery Inclusion","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis sample is one of a kind amongst Libyan Desert Glass specimens. Its unique coloring ranges from traditional yellow to a subtle green. The stone is partially translucent when lit from behind, revealing a fascinating mystery inclusion. At first glance, it appears to be a leaf. However, it's very unlikely that a leaf would survive the heat and force that created this stone. At 596 grams, this is one of the larger pieces of LDG you'll find at this quality. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"0 0 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLibyan Desert Glass is one of the most enigmatic natural materials ever found on Earth: a pale yellow to greenish glass scattered across a remote stretch of the Sahara near the Egypt–Libya border. It formed about 29 million years ago when an extraordinary burst of energy melted surface sands at temperatures exceeding 1600 °C, fusing them into nearly pure silica glass. What caused that energy release is still debated. No obvious impact crater has been found, leading many scientists to favor a massive atmospheric airburst rather than a direct ground impact. Libyan Desert Glass was first documented by Western scientists in the 1930s, though it was almost certainly known to ancient peoples; its significance is underscored by the fact that a carved piece was used as the central scarab in a pectoral found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Today, it sits at the crossroads of planetary science, archaeology, and impact physics as a terrestrial reminder that cosmic-scale events can leave behind objects as beautiful as they are puzzling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blue scale cube displayed in some of the photos is 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm and is used only to represent scale. It is not included in your purchase.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYour purchase includes the exact stone pictured, a Certificate of Authenticity, a custom 3D printed display stand, and a lunar surprise 🌙\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy name is Dr. Chris Sanders, and I am a member of the International Meteorite Collectors Association (Member ID 8303). Purchasing from an IMSA member guarantees you're working with trusted members of the meteorite community. You can watch my free meteorite education videos on YouTube or other social media platforms here: \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/meteocracy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/linktr.ee\/meteocracy\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Midnight Meteorites","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48628739571812,"sku":"CSM-176","price":850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/5700\/0292\/files\/LDGw_Leaf-04.jpg?v=1782308889"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/5700\/0292\/collections\/LDG_w__Leaf-03.jpg?v=1782308955","url":"https:\/\/midnightmeteorites.com\/collections\/impactites-and-tektites.oembed","provider":"Midnight Meteorites","version":"1.0","type":"link"}