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A slice of space rock no larger than a credit card could run up a big sale price at a Christie’s auction in the next few days.
The item up for bid is a small piece of the first recorded meteorite seen as it dropped through the sky and landed in a wheat field. In some history books and manuscripts, it was the only major world event mentioned for the year that it fell to Earth — 1492.
“This is back in a time before there was scientific consensus that meteorites actually existed,” said James Hyslop, head of scientific instruments, globes, and natural history for the auction house, “So this was very much seen as something sent by the Divine.”
It’s not the first time a piece of the famed Ensisheim meteorite has hit the auction block — small chips weighing mere ounces have appeared at Christie’s and its competitor Sotheby’s before — but it remains a popular and intriguing item for collectors because of its historical significance and story.
As of Friday, it had already racked up over 20 online bids and was nearing $3,000, with four days remaining before the auction closes March 28. The last time Christie’s had a piece to sell — a heavier, half-ounce sample in 2021 — it went for $15,000.
“This was very much seen as something sent by the Divine.”
Scientists estimate about 48.5 tons of billions-of-years-old meteor material rain down on the planet daily, but recovering them is still like finding a needle in a haystack: Much of the rubble vaporizes in Earth’s atmosphere or falls into the ocean, which covers over 70 percent of the planet.
More than 60,000 space rocks have been discovered on Earth. The vast majority of them come from asteroids, but a small fraction, about 0.2 percent, comes from Mars or the moon, according to NASA. At least 175 have been identified as originating from the Red Planet.
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The Ensisheim meteorite is known as an ordinary chondrite, the most commonly found sort of alien rock on Earth. But in medieval times, there were no words to describe such a marvel. It would take about 300 more years, after several meteorite sightings in Europe and the United States in the early 1800s, for scientists to accept that rocks could fall from space.
Weeks after Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas, the meteorite struck near the Alsatian town of Ensisheim in France, according to The Meteoritical Society. A young boy saw it firsthand on Nov. 7, 1492, and brought residents to the 280-pound black stone, to gawk at its perplexing fusion crust and the one-yard-deep hole it bore into the ground. People 100 miles away from the crash site in the Alps heard the fireball’s boom, unlike any thunderclap.
Townspeople swiped chunks of the rock, believing it to be a good luck charm before city leaders forbade the vandalism. Twenty days later, Roman Emperor Maximilian I interpreted the Ensisheim event as a sign from God to declare war on France.
Within a month or so of the meteorite’s fall, renowned poet Sebastian Brant wrote about the Ensisheim rock, describing it as a triangular stone that emerged from a storm cloud, burning on its way to the ground. At the time it was referred to as the thunderstone, and he alleged it was marked with a cross.
The story, a form of early journalism, was published on one-sided bulletins and dispersed in surrounding cities. The verses, originally printed in Latin and German with woodblock engravings, were translated and pirated, causing word to spread of the mysterious stone, according to a paper written by planetary geologist Ursula B. Marvin on the meteorite, published around its 500th anniversary in the journal Meteoritics.
The poet Brant was also responsible for putting it in a political context: He claimed it was a bad omen for the French side.
Maximilian was indeed victorious in battle. He gained territory and brought back his daughter, who was with the French King, Charles VIII. The fact that the event happened shortly after the advent of the printing press in the mid-1400s — and was used in wartime propaganda — was what made it memorable and unprecedented, Marvin said.
“Impressive as the stone and explosion were,” she wrote, “the latter two factors were crucial for winning a place in history for the Ensisheim meteorite.”
Maximilian ordered that the main portion of the rock be hung in the town’s church, and it remained there until 1793, Marvin said, intriguing visitors with a Latin inscription: “Many have spoken of this stone, all said something, nobody has said enough.”
Over the years, many museums and galleries obtained pieces of the meteorite, with a large amount going to the Vatican, Hyslop told Mashable, because it was the first institution to collect such objects thought to be sent from God. Some ended up in Paris, and some went to the precursor for the Natural History Museum of London.
In order for space rocks to get formally cataloged as meteorites, large pieces have to be kept at designated natural history museums for preservation. But the London museum exchanged some of its hunk 30 years ago for newly found meteorites that originated from the moon and Mars, Hyslop said. That’s how a private collector got a hold of the piece Christie’s is selling today.
The whittled away portion of the rock, now about 117 pounds, remains in Ensisheim.
“It’s the sort of meteorite that if it was just found on its own, and didn’t have that 500-year history behind it, it wouldn’t be hugely sought after,” Hyslop said. “It has such a long pedigree to it.”
LOVE Island star Tanyel Revan’s best friend has hit out in a furious rant that she was “set up” to leave the villa.
Her close pal Tun appeared to have headed to social media to react to the news of her departure last night.
Fans reposted a video shared by Tanyel’s pal Tun[/caption]
Tun was furious and hit out at the Islanders as “fake”[/caption]
Love Island star Tanyel, 26, was brutally dumped from the villa earlier this week in a shock twist in the show.
She was left single after bombshell boy Jordan Odofin was left to pick between her and fellow bombshell Ellie Spence.
It meant that Tanyel was dumped from the Island after the brutal recoupling as she was left single on Thursday.
Now, her friend Tun has headed to social media in a furious rant saying she was “set up” by her fellow Islanders.
Her protective over pal pointed the finger at her fellow Islanders Olivia Hawkins and Shaq Muhammad for being “fake”.
Twitter and TikTok users re-posted the social media video, captioning the clip as “Tanyel’s sister”, but it was later revealed as her best friend Tun.
“I’m not going to lie, and I’m going to try to keep it PG, but there ain’t no way I’m watching this show any more,” she could be heard saying in the video.
“I’m done with Love Island because although Tanya was ready to leave, Tanya, Shaq and Olivia… you f**king set her up to go.
“I don’t care what anyone says, they are so f**king fake and jealous and actually quite obsessed.
“Olivia, you need to get Tanyel tattooed on your body mate because it’s actually getting a bit weird.”
She continued to hit out: “I’ve been seeing her ways, that slyness to Tan and finally everyone is starting to see it.
“She is fake as f**k and I can’t wait for the day that she gets caught out. Tanya and Shaq, who gave these men their high horse?
“I am done with it and I can’t wait until they get caught out.”
It comes after Tanyel was dumped from the Island yesterday after the Love Island‘s boys were given all the power.
Ron Hall, who many think she really wanted a relationship with, did not save the London hair stylist.
Kai chose to save Olivia, and the Tanyel was left standing alongside Ellie.
Ellie was saved by Jordan – after Olivia gave him a pep talk earlier in the day – leaving Tanyel saying her goodbyes.
Viewers were left adamant Olivia conspired to send Tanyel home, after her former nemesis Zara also got the chop.
They were convinced Olivia has been getting rid of her competition in the South Africa abode.
One penned on Twitter: “Why is it that whenever Olivia doesn’t like someone the whole villa somehow also doesn’t like them and they end up getting dumped?”
A second raged: “The amount of people that have been sacrificed for Olivia benefit. I’m praying for her downfall!”
A third said: “Olivia must have something on everyone in there cos how is it both the people she had targets on have left?”
Shakira’s new song slamming her ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué and his new squeeze has spread like wildfire on Spanish social media this week, prompting some of the world’s most famous brands to cheer her on.
After being slammed in the past for its lack of diverse cultural representation, the Golden Globes bounced back with a vengeance Tuesday night (January 10) – not only boasting a slew of performers of color nabbing major awards but also putting the cherry on top by appointing openly gay, African American comedian Jerrod Carmichael to serve as host.
And while many are celebrating the positive steps the Globes have taken toward diversity and inclusion,
The post Whitney Houston Fans Are STILL Slamming Jerrod Carmichael Over ‘Disrespectful’ Death Joke at 2023 Golden Globes appeared first on ..::That Grape Juice.net::.. – Thirsty?.
A DRIVER who found a raging note on his car over his parking has shocked viewers with his response.
In a video on TikTok, the car owner shows the angry message left for him which claimed he parking improperly.
The note said: “Please park your car properly. Spare a thought for somebody.”
The young man explained that although his parking was within the white lines, he felt it could have been better.
He wrote: “While it was still within the box, it was slanted but no excuses. Bad is bad.
“For making the driver next to me angry, I decided to apologise by offering something sweet.”
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Instead of reacting with anger, the TikTokker revealed his next move.
To try and make amends, the man wrote his own note back which said: “Dear sir. I am sorry I made your night sour with my bad parking.
“Here’s something to sweeten your day. Hopefully. Peace.”
Along with the note, he left a box of chocolates.
The creator, Mister_Erw1n, captioned the clip: “We got to learn to admit our faults in order to correct ourselves.”
The video has been viewed more than 135,000 times, garnering more than 174 comments, many of which praised his response.
One person said: “Sheeshhh, my guy literally killed ‘em with kindness
Another said: “Oh how do you know it’s the car beside you who wrote the note, very nice gesture though.”
The poster replied: Dashcam. Thank you.”
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Someone else said: “Respect my dude! Want to have your attitude.”
An impressed viewer said: “You have my utmost respect!”