{"product_id":"gold-basin-l4-chondrite-with-dark-and-light-side-14-38-grams","title":"Gold Basin, L4 Chondrite with Dark and Light Side - 14.38 grams","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Gold Basin meteorite is one of the most famous meteorite strewn fields in North America, discovered in 1995 in the Mojave Desert of northwestern Arizona near the White Hills. The first specimen was found by University of Arizona professor Jim Kriegh while prospecting for gold with a metal detector in a network of desert arroyos. What initially seemed like a single meteorite quickly turned into something much larger: thousands of individual stones were eventually recovered across an enormous strewn field spanning more than 200 square kilometers. Researchers determined the meteorite is an L4 chondrite, meaning it is composed of fragmented asteroid material that had already been broken apart and reassembled before arriving on Earth. Cosmogenic isotope dating revealed the fall itself likely occurred around 15,000 years ago during the late Pleistocene. Scientists estimate the incoming meteoroid may have been several meters across before it catastrophically fragmented in Earth’s atmosphere with an energy release comparable to several kilotons of TNT. Because of its age, enormous distribution, and unusually well-preserved material, Gold Basin has become one of the most heavily studied ancient strewn fields in the world.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e Interestingly enough, gold miners often found fragments of this meteorite while prospecting, but ignored them because they didn't know what they were!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis 14.38 gram individual stone has unique coloring, with one lighter side and one darker side with a unique shape. This is an opportunity to obtain a historic meteorite whose rarity is only increasing over time. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eMeteoritical Bulletin Entry for Gold Basin: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.lpi.usra.edu\/meteor\/metbull.cfm?code=10940\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.lpi.usra.edu\/meteor\/metbull.cfm?code=10940\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eOne of my Education Shorts about the Gold Basin Meteorite: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ORitzMz69_s\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ORitzMz69_s\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis meteorite is not just a collectible; it’s an educational tool and conversation starter that brings the mystery and science of space directly into your hands.\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 href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/meteocracy\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/linktr.ee\/meteocracy\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eUnique Features of This Meteorite\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e--Ordinary Chondrite--\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrdinary chondrites make up about 85% of all known falls. They are stony meteorites composed primarily of silicate minerals like olivine and pyroxene, with small amounts of nickel-iron metal and chondrules—tiny, spherical grains that formed in the early solar system. Their composition provides valuable insights into the building blocks of planets and the history of our solar system.\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Midnight Meteorites","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48404955005028,"sku":"CSM-230","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/5700\/0292\/files\/CSM230-1.jpg?v=1778608995","url":"https:\/\/midnightmeteorites.com\/products\/gold-basin-l4-chondrite-with-dark-and-light-side-14-38-grams","provider":"Midnight Meteorites","version":"1.0","type":"link"}