Floater Pyrite nodule (Texas!) James Carter Coll.

Item Description

A fine floater nodule of pyrite crystals frm this well-known limestone cement quarry outside of Dallas. The densely intergrown cuboctahedrons have bronzy-brassy color. The crystals are lustrous to moderately lustrous, with the crystals being enhanced by light iridescence under bright light. 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/. Every turn presents a different perspective to this classic Texas pyrite.