Founded in 1868, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) has nurtured the passion of astronomers while fostering the curiosity of anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond. We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the RASC with an awe-inspiring (and scientifically accurate) reverse design that adds a photo-realistic twist to the Society’s sesquicentennial logo! To top it all off, the design includes an authentic meteorite fragment, which is a fitting tribute to the contributions of RASC members. Own an extraterrestrial piece of our solar system-one that is potentially as old as Earth itself! Special features:YOUR VERY OWN METEORITE-NO TWO PIECES ARE ALIKE! A real piece of meteorite makes a big impact on your coin-since no two pieces are alike, no two coins are alike making your coin unique! CELEBRATING CANADA’S SCIENTIFIC SPIRIT! A special 150th anniversary celebration of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada! Through the contributions of its 5,000 members, Canada’s leading association of amateur and professional astronomers remains dedicated to the advancement of astronomy and related sciences. SOURCED FROM THE CAMPO DEL CIELO METEORITE FIELD! Your coin includes a GUARANTEED authentic meteorite fragment! Sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field, your meteorite fragment likely made impact some 4,500 years ago, but it was originally part of an iron mass that is likely billions of years old. INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. PURE SILVER: Your coin is crafted from 99.99% pure silver! LOW WORLDWIDE MINTAGE: Only 5,500 coins will be made available worldwide. GST/HST EXEMPT: Your coin is GST/HST exempt. Design: Designed by Alexandra Lefort, your coin is a re-interpretation of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s sesquicentennial logo in a scientifically accurate, photorealism art style. The original logo features stars that allude to Canadian contributions to stellar spectroscopy and photometry, and a globular cluster that honours the scientific work of Helen Sawyer Hogg and Canada’s cooperative partnerships; both are colourfully re-imagined here as the Eagle Nebula-specifically the pillars of interstellar gas and dust known as the Pillars of Creation, where the formation of new stars is a symbolic representation of the RASC’s beginnings (and by extension, its anniversary). A fixture in RASC public outreach efforts, the Moon was chosen to represent the lunar calendars of the First Nations peoples, and the navigational astronomy that guided many European discoverers during Canada’s early history. Beneath it, the Andromeda galaxy-the nearest major galaxy to our own-is a symbolic ode to Canadian contributions to cosmology. Blazing as it burns through Earth’s upper atmosphere, the depiction of a meteor is topped by a genuine iron meteorite fragment sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite fields, where the impact craters date back an estimated 4,500 years. Both the meteorite and the view of the Manicouagan crater in Quebec are a nod to the RASC’s longstanding interest in the study of planet geology, meteor dynamics and impact cratering, and to the excellence of Canadian research in these fields. Always fascinating, the space-weather phenomenon of the aurora borealis adds a “True North” flourish that a design that encapsulates 150 years of exploring the cosmos. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. About the Meteorite Front and center on your coin, the extraterrestrial piece of our solar system was sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina, where a large fragment was first documented in 1576. A polycrystalline coarse octahedrite, the IA iron meteorite was recovered from one of 26 impact craters formed roughly 4,500 years ago, when a shower of metallic meteorites dispersed fragments across an area of roughly 320 square kilometres. The typical composition of a Campo del Cielo meteorite is 92.7% iron, 6.15% nickel, 0.42% cobalt, 0.37% carbon and 0.28% phosphorus. Packaging: Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a black beauty box. Composition: 99.99% pure silver. Weight (g)31.39. Face value: 20 dollars. Artist: Alexandra Lefort (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse).
