18. TRINITITE — ARTIFACT FROM THE 1945 ALAMOGORDO NUCLAR BOMB TEST
Chihuahua Desert, Alamorgordo, New Mexico
What’s a meteorite auction without a bit of trinitite?
On July 16, 1945 the first detonation of a nuclear weapon occurred, and trinitite is the glass which resulted from the Trinity nuclear bomb having melted Chihuahuan Desert sand. Trinitite is highly vesicular and not infrequently features a glossy surface. It is also safe to handle; the bomb contained only several dozen kilograms of uranium which was atmospherically dispersed (which also explains why Hiroshima itself is safe). In 1953 most trinitite was bulldozed and buried at the White Sands blast site because it was becoming overrun with tourists hoping to acquire a bit of what is now offered: a historic relic of the United States having entered the Nuclear Age.
Total trinitite weight: 201.8 grams. Hundreds of specimens range from 1 x 1 x 1mm and 0.02 g to as much as 25 x 23 x 3mm (1 x 0.75 x 0.1 in.) and 2.94 g. Jar dimensions: 90 x 75 x 75mm (3.5 x 2.75 in.)
Estimate $3,000 – 4,000 * No Reserve