Aguas Zarcas, a new CM2 carbonaceous chondrite. This is the freshest

recovered fall on Earth and the most pristine of it’s type since the Murchison fall of 1969. This meteorite fell over rural Costa Rica on April 23, 2019. Falling stones peppered a village and struck at least one home and a doghouse.

This meteorite will be of great scientific interest for years to come. It has odd properties not commonly seen in others of it's type. Some stones have a bright blue-green irridescence on the fusion crust. Some of this material emits a strong sulfurous smell. Lab analysis has shown that this meteorite contains high levels of salts. Scientists have not had access to a fresh CM2 meteorite like this for decades, and this fall will surely keep researchers busy for a long time.

Note : just like the Murchison fall, this meteorite outgasses volatile organic compounds. If kept in a sealed container, you will be able to smell the pungent aroma of space-borne hydrocarbons. This odor is harmless and is a characteristic of some CM carbonaceous chondrites. It is thought that long ago, meteorites such as these helped deliver the ingredients of life to a primoridal Earth.

Specimens for collectors and science available at - https://galactic-stone.com/meteorites/meteorite-micromounts/agua-zarcas/

Image credit : Wikimedia Commons.

Fossil Amber with Insect Inclusions, Cretaceous to Miocene, Polished Collector Pieces

Polished specimens and cabochons of fossil amber with insect and plant inclusions. Burmite from the Cretaceous period. Dominican and Baltic ambers from the Miocene period. Fossilized amber from the time the dinosaurs walked with the Earth, with trapped insects and plant leaves. Several localities and specimens available for collectors and researchers at https://galactic-stone.com/fossils-amber/amber/

Photo credit : all photos by me, MikeG.

First photo : Dominican amber with trapped insects and two prominent plant leaf structures.

Second photo : Burmite amber with roach-cricket insect inclusion.

Third photo : Dominican amber cabochons with insect inclusions.

More fossils, amber, meteorites, and minerals available at - https://www.galactic-stone.com