Christie’s will host a major auction of meteorites in an online only sale on February 7-14, topped by an exceptional Canyon Diablo.

This rare lump of space iron is named for the canyon in Arizona where it was discovered in the mid-19th century.

This meteorite features seven large holes formed in the Earth's atmosphere

The asteroid strike that caused this fragment to shear off happened around 49,000 years ago. 

The interior is filled with black diamonds, formed in the searing heat of the Earth’s atmosphere.

It also features seven large holes enlarged by weathering over millennia.

These holes are highly prized by collectors and seven is an unusually high number. 

Christie’s comments: “The fragments of iron that survived the impact are referred to as Canyon Diablos (‘Canyon of the Devil’), and they are the quintessential American meteorite prized by museums and private collectors everywhere.”

It’s valued at up to $250,000.

A large piece of Moon rock is also featured, with a valuation of $180,000.

This lot was a centrepiece of the Cradle to Cosmos exhibition, which travelled the world between 2014 and 2015.

Lunar meteorites are particularly rare pieces of space debris, making up just 0.5% of all the meteorites found on Earth.

This one was discovered in the northern Sahara desert, one of the richest regions for meteorites on the planet.

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