Petrified Lightning - 1.78" Saharan Fulgurite olympics Above: A large split specimen

Above: A large split specimen

700 years old

The process took four years and was itself considered a major engineering feat

NWA 13951 is also known as the "Starry Night" meteorite

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Petrified Lightning - 1.78" Saharan Fulgurite olympics Above: A large split specimenAbove: Front of the Specimen Card. When lightning strikes dry sand, the intense heat melts and fuses the silica creating tubes of rough glass called fulgurites. The process happens quickly, often trapping molecules from the surrounding atmosphere inside the walls of the impact tube. These natural time capsules allow scientists to study the composition of ancient climates. This specimen is a 1. 78" fulgurite collected in the Sahara Desert. Originally