Amateur Astronomer & Meteorite Collector.
Online Catalog ---> WWW.GALACTIC-STONE.COM
To inquire contact me via email - mike@galactic-stone.com
ABOUT ME :
My name is Michael Gilmer, 38 years old, and I am married to my wife Tina. We live in southern Louisiana. Meteorites are my passion. I live, breath and eat meteorites. I am selling meteorites to offset the cost of building my own large personal collection. Making a profit is not my top-priority and if I was trying to make a living doing this, I would have starved to death by now. Instead, I sell these offerings to pay for my personal purchases and to keep my wife from killing me. My main interest besides collecting and dealing is the science of meteoritics. I am fascinated by all aspects of the science behind meteorites - their parent bodies, their composition, their falls, their impacts, and the many theories surrounding them. I also enjoy collecting tektites and impactites. I specialize in UNWA stony meteorites which I like for their aesthetics - some of them can be quite beautiful. I also specialize in micromounts of rare types, witnessed falls, historic falls, and hammer/impactors - since I cannot afford to buy the huge chunks of these expensive rarities, I purchase what I can in the form of micromounts so I can have them represented in my collection until it comes time to upgrade to a bigger specimen. I study the meteorites I collect using a microscope, loupe, and other means. My wife and I have plans in the future to travel around the country in our RV, chasing bolides, combing strewnfields, and stargazing from remote dark sites. I am also learning the art/science of preserving meteorites for long term storage and display. I will be happy to answer any questions or field comments relating to meteorites, this page, or possible trades - just contact me via email!
I personally guarantee that every meteorite I offer is genuine and is as described. I respect the scientific value of meteorites and I try to maintain the provenance of my specimens by keeping detailed records of my inventory and it's sources. I have a combined 700+ feedbacks on eBay, AstroMart, and Cloudy Nights that are all positive with zero negatives.
I am a member of the Meteoritical Society - http://www.meteoriticalsociety.org/
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THE FOLLOWING MICROMOUNTS ARE IN-STOCK NOW!
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(*NEW*) Libyan Desert Glass (impactite/tektite) - Libyan Desert Glass (often called "LDG") is an impactite that was created when a large meteorite slammed into the Libyan Desert aeons ago in the area now called the "Great Sand Sea". This violent impact vaporized the meteorite and fused the desert sand into solid silica glass. This glass contains tiny particles of the original meteorite, and LDG is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful and collectible of all the impactites/tektites. Egyptian pharoahs wore large cut and polished pieces of LDG and it was highly prized in ancient times. The LDG found today varies in quality and composition - ranging from milky white to transparent amber to a rare clear crystal-like form. Some pieces are known to have inclusions of varying size which give each specimen a unique nature. --->$5 each.
(*NEW*)Tatahouine (diogenite, witnessed fall, exotic) - This unusual green meteorite rained to Earth as thousands of small fragments over the parched landscape of Tunisia Africa in 1931. It is very different from most meteorites - it has a distinctive emerald/jade green matrix with
fractures and clasts. Scientists have now determined that diogenite comes from the asteroid Vesta and it has always been a treasured find for collectors because it's both a witnessed fall and an exotic type from a familiar asteroid. Tatahouine found only in tiny pieces and larger pieces
are extremely rare. ---> $7 each.
(*NEW*)Cape York (iron shale, historic) - "Discovered" by the famous arctic explorer Robert Peary when he saw native peoples carrying knives made from an unusual iron, which turned out to be a meteorite. After five grueling expeditions to Greenland, the meteorite was finally brought back, by ship, to the American Museum of Natural History in New York - where the majority of this meteorite is still on display today. Cape York is widely considered to be a "holy grail" of iron meteorites and precious little is available to private collectors. ---> $7 each.
Carancas Peru (H4-5 chondrite, witnessed fall, impactor/hammer) - In September of 2007, a large meteorite slammed into the countryside of
rural Peru. It blasted out a 15m-diameter (50 feet) crater. The shockwave damaged homes, knocked farmers off their feet, and killed livestock.
Noxious fumes were emitted from the impact crater, which is the first sizeable meteorite crater to be formed in recent history. The impact was
so devastating that the meteorite was disintegrated into tiny particles - no large pieces were ever found. Carancas and it's impact is anomalous
in several respects - science is still studying this one. ---> $5.00 each.
Holbrook Arizona (L/LL6 chondrite, witnessed fall) - Just after dinnertime in July of 1912, a spectacular fireball exploded over Holbrook Arizona,
raining thousands of small fragments down on rooftops, streets, and passerby. Holbrook is a classic American witnessed fall from a time when
meteorites were scarcely understood. ---> $5.00 each.
Norton County Kansas (aubrite, witnessed fall, historic fall) - On Feb, 18th, 1948, at about 4:00pm, a brilliant daylight fireball that left a smoke train across nearly 3 states terminated in a deafening explosion. The meteorite was the now-famous Norton County aubrite - a rare meteorite type that has a distinctive white matrix and a friable nature. At the time, it was the largest witnessed fall of any aubrite and it remains of great interest
to collectors because the bulk of the meteorite resides in museums and institutional collections. Only small pieces are occasionally seen on the
private market and large pieces are very rare. ---> $5.00 each.
Gibeon (iron octahedrite) - this classic iron meteorite was discovered near a Namibian (Africa) farm in 1965, although it was probably known to local aborigines for much longer. Gibeon exhibits a beautiful widmanstatten pattern when etched, and each of these small mini slices of Gibeon are etched on at least two sides. Most show some fusion crust on the edges. Each of these mini-slices weighs at least 1+ gram. Namibia has now forbidden further removal of Gibeon iron, so the supply is drying up and prices are going on up on this classic iron that is known for it's resistance to rust. ---> SOLD OUT
NWA 4934 (howardite, exotic) - This howardite has a low total known weight (TKW) of only 307 grams. There is just not much of this rare meteorite type to go around, so quantities will be limited in the future. Howardite is the "topsoil" of larger asteroids and it has a heterogeneous mixture of chondritic material, achondritic material, solar grains, and cosmic flotsam that found it's way onto the asteroid over the aeons of exposure in the space. Howardite is a fragile material and very little of it will survive the violent passage through Earth's atmosphere. ---> $7.00 each.
Moss (carbonaceous chondrite C03.6, witnessed fall, hammer, exotic) - This meteorite is the "trifecta" of rarities : it is a witnessed fall, a hammer/impactor, and a carbonaceous chondrite CO3.6. Any one of those attributes would make it collectible, but it's circumstances make it even more desirable. On July 14th, 2006, a bright daytime fireball was seen at approx 10:00am local time in Ostfold Norway. Many people saw the dazzling fireball, which then unleashed a deafening explosion. Several small and large fragments struck trees, buildings, fences, and penetrated a roof. Upon recovery and analysis, this meteorite was shown to be a rare subtype of carbonaceous chondrite. There is precious little of this rarity to go around and this is the only batch I will ever get. There is no more where this came from, so reserve your's now. ---> $7.00 each.
NWA 1877 (olivine diogenite, exotic) - this super-rare diogenite type hails from the Asteroid Belt and is available in very limited quantities. This meteorite is believed by scientists to be the deepest sample yet recovered from Asteroid Vesta. NWA 1877 is a deep mantle rock from this famous asteroid. There are only 5 olivine diogenites on Earth, and 3 of them are in Antarctic collections and not available to private collectors. That makes this meteorite type one of the rarest on the collector's market, with less than 300 grams of this material on Earth. ---> $7.00 each.
Travis County (b) (H4 chondrite) - Travis County (a) and Travis County (b) are two distinct falls that were found in the same area of Texas. Fragments were discovered over a period of time from 1889 to 1937. At first it was classified as a common H4 chondrite, and it was not known that Travis county was actually two seperate falls. Upon further analysis, not only did Travis represent 2 different meteorites, but Travis (b) turned out to have some rare chondritic clasts in it. Travis (b) also has the lower TKW of the Travis finds. ---> $5.00 each.
Campo Del Cielo "Stardust" (iron octahedrite) - this is a sample of dust and cutting fragments from the process of making Campo meteorite slices. This is genuine meteoritic nickel-iron. It can be melted down to form objects made of meteoritic metal or it can be studied under the microscope or loupe. It is also good for crafts. Campo del Cielo iron meteorites come from an area of Argentina and were discovered in the 1500's. Each gem-jar comes with a generous scoop of this star-dust. ---> $5.00 each.
Moon Rock (lunar-origin meteorite) - this tiny meteorite sample is a genuine piece of the Moon! It's a lunar meteorite that comes in it's own padded display case with a photo of the lunar landscape. The reverse side of the case has the specimen data and authenticity information on it. The display case can be opened and the tiny meteorite can be removed and handled carefully. It's fascinating to look at under the loupe or microscope. These make great outreach and teaching props. Own your own piece of the Moon. ----> $50.00 each.
Mars Rock (Martian-origin meteorite) - this tiny meteorite sample is a genuine piece of the planet Mars - blasted away from the Martian surface billions of years ago in a cataclysmic asteroid-type collision. The piece of Martian rock achieved escape velocity and traveled out into space where it was eventually pulled in by Earth's gravity, where it fell and was discovered and analyzed. These specimens are real pieces of the planet Mars! Each comes in it's own padded display case (similar to the Moon Rocks) with a color photo of the Martian landscape. The meteorite can be removed and handled carefully. Own a piece of the Red Planet! ---> $50.00 each.
Moon and Mars Rocks Combo (lunar and Martian meteorites) - a pair of planetary meteorites, one each of the Moon Rock and Mars Rock samples. You get one of each at a discount. ---> $85.00 for both.
NWA 2828 (aubrite) - Acquired in 2005 from a marketplace in Morocco, this meteorite likely originated in Algeria or Mauritania. It is an enstatite-rich aubrite that is similar, but not identical to, Al-Haggounia 001. Aubrites are increasingly rare on the collector's market, and you just don't see that much of it going around. NWA 2828 has a modest TKW of 8.67 kilograms, meaning there is not a lot of this meteorite in existence. This was a one-time acquisition, and there will be no more NWA 2828 available from me once this shipment is gone. --->$5 each.
UNWA XXXX (unclassified meteorite) - these are small individual stones from the Sahara Desert in Morocco. These are genuine meteorites which have not been classified or analyzed yet. Their exact type and composition is unknown and each one is like an Easter Egg, Most are likely to be common H-type chondrites with strong magnetic attraction and a matrix full of nickel-iron flecks when sliced open. These are generous-sized individuals that weigh approx. 2 grams each. ----> $4.00 each.
Canyon Diablo (iron octahedrite) - Everyone has seen photos of the famous mile-wide crater in the Arizona Desert. The so-called "Meteor Crater" is near Canyon Diablo Arizona and it marks the spot where a giant iron asteroid slammed into the Earth thousands of years ago. The impact was so violent and catastrophic that the entire asteroid was vaporized, leaving behind relatively-tiny fragments only. The crater was first recognized as a land feature in the early 1800's, and was known to native Americans for much longer. At first, scientists thought the crater was an ancient
extinct volcano and that the fragments of nickel-iron found around the area were products of volcanism. Now it's true nature is known and a
similar impact in a modern populated area would completely destroy a large city. These micromounts are generous sized individuals and are
not shrapnel or spheroids. They have been cleaned of any oxidation and have a nice patina. They weigh approx. 1-2 grams each. ---->$5 each.
