Floater Pyrite nodule (Texas!) James Carter Coll.

Item Description

Striking stepped-growth pyrite octahedrons comprise this impressive, sculptural and pristine 360-degree floater pyrite nodule from this well-known limestone cement quarry outside of Dallas. Subtle iridescence enhances the brassy-bronzy color of the densely intergrown platy octos. The dominating apex octo is 4.0 cm tall. Texas is known as mostly a mineral wasteland, but this is an excellent example from the James Carter Collection. James was a professor of Geology and former Department Chairman at the University of Texas at Dallas for 43 years until he retired in 2008. A true geoscientist, he studied and performed research on a remarkable variety of geological aspects. NASA asked Carter to help create a material that was similar to actual lunar regolith. The lunar regolith simulant, or fake moon dirt, he developed was used by NASA and other researchers for studies in support of future human activities on the moon. He passed away in 2019. We recently acquired part of his collection. Read about James at: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/faculty-staff/carter-tribute-2019/.