New Royal Canadian Mint collectable coin is out of this world

The Royal CanadianMint's latest collectible coin is pretty far out.

Vancouver-based artist and research scientistAlexandra Lefortdesigned the coin after a life time of interstellar fascination a fascination that led her to design the collectiblewith achunk of meteorite iron embedded in each of the 5,500 coins minted.

"It was really exciting, when I was contacted to do the design," said Lefort."I've been into astronomy since I was a kid and I've always been fascinated by meteorites."

The meteorite fragments come from theCampo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina.

The creation of the full-coloursilver coinmarks the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).

"150 years of research, education and discovery by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is an engaging story to share with Canadians," said Royal Canadian Mint president SandraHaningtonin a statement.

"It is only fitting thatRASC'smany scientific achievements be recognized on a vividly coloured coin, which breaks barriers of its own by featuring a shard of a real meteorite."

The $20 coin's graphic depicts a flaming meteorite, augmented by theactual fragment of space metal.

The Eagle Nebula, swirling among the Pillars of Creation long trails of gas and dust is next to the meteor, nestled between an image of the AndromedaGalaxy, the galaxy nearest to our own.

At the top of the graphic is the solar eclipse Vancouver residents were able to see in August 2017. Below, animage of theManicouagan crater in Qubec a reservoir believed to have been created214 million years ago by theimpact of an asteroid.

Lefortsaid choosing which images to use was difficult, because there's so many options.

"I wanted the meteor to symbolize an ambassador from space to earth," said Lefort.

Lefort also designed another commemorative coin for the mint in 2016 to honour Canada's first woman astronaut, Roberta Bondar.

That coincombinedvivid colour with aglow-in-the-dark effect to depicta view of Canada from space.

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