World's Largest Meteorite Auction Comes to NYC

 

New York City will be full of meteorites this weekend, but it's not what you'd expect to see in an apocalyptic film.

Heritage Auctions is hosting the world's 2nd-ever--and largest--auction devoted to just meteorites on Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Fletcher-Sinclar Mansion at 2 E. 79th St on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

 

"Meteorites have become a very very in-demand collectible as of late," says curator Darryl Pitt. Some buyers value the unique rocks for their beauty, but Pitt says there's a handful of different reasons to buy.

 

"One is because of scientific interest, another is because of existential reasons, another is because, you know, it's kind of wild to be able to know that you've got something from between Mars and Jupiter that's older that Earth."

 

Pitt has a political theory too: "Perhaps as a result of the electoral process,  folks are taking a closer look at outer space as a welcome distraction."

 

The 125 Moon rocks, mars pieces, and other meteorites on the auction block are expected to go from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand dollars.  Pricing depends on the meteorites' origin, size, and other factors.  Pitt says some even have interesting stories:

 

"There's also a piece of Mars that Herbie Hancock had in his pocket during what was the 25th Anniversary Gala at the Kennedy Center for the Thelonious Monk Institute. This was the best night out a piece of Mars ever had."

 

100% of the proceeds from that rock will go to the Thelonious Monk Institute supporting music education. 

 

All pieces up for auction can be viewed at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion on the corner of 79th and 5th in Manhattan from Thursday to Sunday.

 

Preview times and a full catalogue can be found online.