Have You Found A Meteorite? Part 3 of 3.
John Winston
Aug. 7, 2010.
Here we have the up and coming Meteor Shower.
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August 12, 13
Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best
meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors
per hour at their peak. This year's shower should peak
on the night of August 12 and the morning of the 13th,
but you may be able to see some meteors any time from
July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower
will be in the constellation Perseus. The thin, crescent
moon will be out of the way early, setting the stage for
a potentially spectacular show. For best viewing, look
to the northeast after TIME Hour "0" Minute "0"
midnight.
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Subject: Have You Found A Meteorite? Part 3 of 3.
Aug. 7, 2010.
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*METEOR-WRONGS
Please study carefully! All of these common Earth rocks
were mailed to us by people who thought they were
meteorites. None of them are.*
Meteorite identification: meteor-wrong 1
Meteorite identification: meteor-wrong 2
Meteorite identification: meteor-wrong 3
*NOT A METEORITE*
This is a terrestrial rock. Note the vesicles (holes
caused by escaping gas). Meteorites do not have
vesicles.
*NOT A METEORITE*
This is a type of hematite. It looks metallic and
appears to have a molten surface but does NOT stick to
a magnet.
*NOT A METEORITE*
This is a terrestrial rock. Note the small holes and
granular appearance. Meteorite do not have vesicles
Meteorite identification: meteor-wrong 1
*NOT A METEORITE*
The coarse surface texture of this rock is not
consistent with meteorites. Regmaglypts and fusion crust
are absent.
*NOT A METEORITE*
This is a river pebble. The indentations in this rock
were caused by river action and are not regmaglypts.
*NOT A METEORITE*
This is a heavy rock which looks metallic but note the
small holes caused by escaping gas. Meteorites do not
have vesicles.
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*THE TESTS
How to determine if you have a genuine meteorite*
*1) Visual Inspection*
If you've read the previous passages you now know much
more about meteorites than the average person.
Congratulations, and thank you for reading this far.
Now, please carefully consider the following: Does your
rock exhibit any of the characteristics discussed
above? Does it feel heavier than it should? Does it
have regmaglypts, or patina, or fusion crust? Compare
your rock to the photographs of real meteorites, and
meteor-wrongs.
*2) The Magnet Test*
Let me say it one more time. /A meteorite will stick
easily to a good magnet./ If your rock does not adhere
to a powerful magnet you almost certainly do not have a
meteorite. It is /extremely unlikely/ that you have
found "one of those meteorites that doesn't stick to a
magnet."
Remember, there are many Earth rocks that also stick to
magnets, so if your specimen adheres to a magnet it is
not automatically a meteorite, but it's a step in the
right direction.
*3) The Streak Test*
Iron oxides like hematite and magnetite are the Earth
rocks most frequently mistaken for meteorites. They are
moderately heavy (not nearly as heavy as iron
meteorites) and appear metallic in composition.
Some specimens will stick to a magnet. If you think you
have an iron meteorite, here's an easy test you can
perform at home: Take your rock sample and scrape it
against the coarse (unglazed) face of a white bathroom
tile, just like you were drawing on a blackboard with a
piece of chalk. If your rock leaves a reddish or
rust-colored streak on the tile it is likely hematite.
If it leaves a dark gray streak it is likely magnetite.
This test only works on iron meteorites (not stones). A
genuine iron meteorite will typically leave NO STREAK,
or possibly a very faint grayish mark.
*4) The Nickel Test*
As discussed earlier, most meteorites contain nickel and
iron. Naturally occurring Earth rocks do not, so if
your specimen tests positive for nickel it may be a
meteorite. Kits that test for nickel can be purchased
via the internet, or you can take your rock to a lab
that assays (tests) for various mineral components.
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*CONTACTING US, AND WHAT TO DO NEXT*
If you've studied the information on this page, looked
at the photos, performed some of the tests and you
/still/ think you have a meteorite, we are interested
in hearing from you. The first step in getting a
positive ID for your meteorite will be to send us some
photographs, either as email attachments or as printed
photos by postal service, and/or a small sample for
testing.
*PLEASE CONTACT US BY EMAIL
mailto:off...@aerolite.org
OR REGULAR MAIL REGARDING METEORITE
IDENTIFICATION*
*THE COMPANY TELEPHONE NUMBER IS FOR SALES
INQUIRIES ONLY. WE CANNOT IDENTIFY YOUR
SUSPECTED METEORITE BY TELEPHONE. WE PREFER
TO RECEIVE EMAIL INQUIRIES. IF YOU INISIST ON
CALLING US ANWAY, YOU MAY CONTACT OUR STAFF
GEOLOGIST AT (520) 742-3334 BUT THERE IS
TYPICALLY A WAITING PERIOD BEFORE WE CAN
REPLY. WE SUGGEST SENDING US PHOTOS BECAUSE
THAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT METHOD AND SAVES
EVERYONE'S TIME.*
*HOW TO SEND US PHOTOGRAPHS*
*If you are emailing pictures, please do the following:*
This may seem obvious, but please take /clear, in-focus
pictures/. That requires holding the camera at least an
arm's length from your rock, or using its macro setting
(a lens setting for close-ups). Please take photos with
a decent quality camera. We can't tell anything from
low resolution cell phone snapshots or pictures that are
out of focus.
/Most/ photographs we receive are out of focus and
therefore useless.
It's also a good idea to include something in the
picture for scale, such as a 25-cent coin, or a ruler.
Please prepare your images to a manageable file size
before emailing --- for example less than 1mb per
picture, and *not to exceed 5 mb in total*, for
multiple pictures. Overly large files will be bounced
by our mail server and we will never see them. We
recommend emailing your pictures as JPEG files.
*If you are mailing hard copy photos by USPS:*
Please send to the P.O. Box address below. Please send
only non-returnable prints. Sorry, but we are not able
to mail photos back to the sender(s). There is no fee
or obligation for us to examine your photos and give
you an opinion.
*HOW TO SEND US A ROCK SAMPLE FOR INSPECTION*
There is a $-- fee for examining specimen(s) in person.
This small charge helps us offset the considerable
expenses involved in testing suspected meteorites.
Please include a check or money order for $-- made out
to "Aerolite Meteorites." The fee is per shipment, not
per rock. In other words, if you send us four specimens
to look at in one box, the fee is still only $--.
Please pack your rock sample securely and send to the
address below. We recommend using USPS Delivery
Confirmation which only costs $0.-- per shipment, in
addition to regular postage fees. A specimen the size
of golf ball is large enough for us to test. Please do
not send ten pounds of rocks, it's not necessary.
By mailing us a specimen you agree that we are not
responsible for loss of, or damage to, any material
sent to us for examination. Packages mailed to Aerolite
Meteorites are done so entirely at the risk of the
sender. *DO NOT send Registered Mail or Certified Mail
packages*. We will not accept Registered or Certified
Mail unless we have requested it.
*IMPORTANT *If you would like your rock returned to you
after we have inspected it, please/include return
postage /and a written or printed mailing label with
your full address. Due to the large volume of specimens
we receive, we will not return any material unless
these instructions are followed. *IF YOU WISH US TO
CONTACT YOU REGARDING A SPECIMEN YOU HAVE
MAILED TO US, YOU MUST PLEASE INCLUDE AN
EMAIL ADDRESS AND/OR A STAMPED SELF-ADDRESSED
ENEVELOPE FOR OUR REPLY.*
*Please note:* We receive /hundreds/ of inquires every
month regarding suspected meteorites. We are extremely
busy with field work, our /Meteorite Men
<http://www.meteoritemen.com>
/ TV series, science writing and . . . well, running an
international business. We offer to look at suspected
meteorites as a service to the community. It is not how
we make our living. We do guarantee that specimens sent
for inspection, along with a check or money order for
$25 will receive attention as soon as possible. We
cannot guarantee that all photographs and email
inquiries will be answered, but we do our best. Due to
the high volume of inquiries that we receive, please be
aware that the response time to your email, mail or
phone call may be up to six weeks. Thank you in advance
for your patience and understanding.
Thank you for reading the Aerolite Meteorites Guide to
Meteorite Identification and keep on hunting!
*Geoffrey Notkin*
Merolite Meteorites -- Meteorite Men The Series
P.O. Box 36652
Tucson, AZ 85740
USA
Part 3 of 3.
John Winston. joh...@mlode.com