Make your loved one swoon this Valentine’s Day by skipping chocolates for a wayward piece of the universe.
An unusual Russian meteorite know as “The Heart of Space” (for its romantic shape) is going up for auction through Christie’s on Feb. 6.
The space rock came from a meteoroid that created a fireball over the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in Siberia in 1947. It measure 9 inches (23 centimeters) across at its widest point and weighs over 22 pounds (10 kilograms).
The fireball wreaked havoc when it threw off massive shockwaves, breaking windows and knocking over trees. Just think about that as a metaphor for the power of your love.
Christie’s sweet-talks us with a description that calls it “a very rarely seen shape which is the result of the fortuitous cleavage along its crystalline planes.” Excuse me while I go cool off.
This particular iron meteorite is a type that’s covered in fetching thumbprint-like indentations called regmaglypts. OK, maybe leave the regmaglypts bit out of your love letter.
Christie’s estimates bidding could reach $500,000 (£380,000, AU$690.000). The auction house is accepting online bids.
This meteorite would be best accompanied by a card with a thoughtful inscription like “Hey, baby, you must be the sun because you’re the center of my universe” or “I can’t resist your gravitational pull.”
