Seymchan Monolithic Centerpiece

A MONUMENTAL SEYMCHAN SLICE WITH A HIGHLY DEVELOPED WIDMANSTÄTTEN STRUCTURE

Seymchan is one of the most important and visually compelling iron meteorites known, discovered in 1967 in the Magadan region of the Russian Far East. The Widmanstätten pattern displayed in the present slice is the result of the extremely slow cooling of molten iron-nickel within the core of a differentiated asteroid, at rates measured in degrees per million years. This process, which cannot be replicated under terrestrial conditions, produces the distinctive interlocking bands of kamacite and taenite seen here, forming a geometric structure of remarkable regularity and complexity.

The present example is exceptional for both its scale and its beauty. Measuring 23 inches (58.4 cm) in height and weighing over 10 kilograms, it offers an expansive and uninterrupted view of this extraterrestrial crystalline architecture. The pattern is bold and clearly expressed across the surface, with large, well-defined lamellae. The natural borders, retaining areas of oxidation and fusion crust, provide a striking contrast to the polished interior and reinforce the sense of the object as a fragment of a once much larger mass.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Seymchan