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Meteorite auction included one very surprising item

Trevor Mogg
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Christie’s has been auctioning off lots of meteorites over the last few weeks, though it saved the most unusual object in its collection for last.

The Deep Impact: Martian Lunar and Other Rare Meteorites online auction featured “the oldest matter mankind can touch,” according to Christie’s. It also included a doghouse with a hole in the roof.

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That doghouse (below) was home to a German shepherd named Roky in Costa Rica. It’s deemed special because the hole in the tin roof was made by a meteorite that crashed through it three years ago. Roky, you’ll be pleased to know, escaped unharmed.

A doghouse with a hole in the roof caused by a meteorite.
Roky’s doghouse with the hole made by a meteorite clearly visible in the tin roof. Christie's

Someone evidently intrigued by the unique doghouse happily dropped a winning bid of $44,100, well below the $300,000 that some thought it might fetch, but still a lot for what is essentially damaged goods. It should be noted, however, that the meteorite that slammed into the doghouse sold for just $21,420 — less than half the value of the doghouse.

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Most of the lots were of the rocky variety, each one having experienced an epic journey through space before ending up on the website of a leading auction house.

“There are a dozen offerings of the moon and the planet Mars and another dozen from some of the most famous museums in the world — as well as meteorites containing gems from outer space,” Christie’s said in the auction notes.

The collection, which you can view online, is a sight to behold, with the rocks coming in a myriad of beautiful colors, sizes, and shapes, though it’s important to point out that some have been fashioned to take on a new look.

Below are just a few of the meteorites that went up for auction, with the “price realised” label indicating the value of the winning bid.
Meteorites up for auction at Christie's in February 2022.

Meteorites up for auction at Christie's in February 2022.
Christie's

With only a few lots to go, the highest amount paid so far is $189,000 for a “complete slice of the moon.” The object was blasted off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact and is described as “the 5,000th rock recovered in the Northwest African grid of the Sahara Desert to be analyzed and classified.” Christie’s adds that the 7.75-inch by 7- inch by 0.25-inch, 0.9-pound object was the largest lunar meteorite known when it was discovered in 2007. Good thing it didn’t land on Roky then.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
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