Meteorite Identification 101

[fredmason]

I used the Nems once and was satisfied with the price and report...well worth the nominal fee, in my opinion.

fred

[DolanDave]

Randy,

  You will be waisting your money on the nickel test kit, you really need an xrf test, to determine nickel content.

Dave

[tvanwho]

I remembered to go to the Meteor ID seminar this past Saturday. The speaker has been to Antarctica to collect meteorites and even had astronaut Jim Lovell there with him. He id'ed my one stone as a Canyon Diablo iron meteorite but my other stone I had picked up locally, was just a Leaverite. He suspects it is glacial since the edges are rounded off like water would do altho he had no explanation as to why it has a thin black crust. He was signing books  for people but I guess his marker had run out of ink when my turn came. He runs a small Planetary Studies Outfit in  Elizabeth, Illinois, out towards Galena in the northwest part of the state. I will have to make a trip out there to see his meteorite collection. this summer.

Most of the lecture time was spent on the upcoming solar eclipse for August. Apparently, Carbondale in southern Illinois is where a LOT of folks will be for the event and spots in Nebraska as well.

Ps, as a side note, a friend of mine found a loose diamond looking stone in a parking lot.

We were all sure it was a fake until another friend tested it with his electronic diamond tester and got a positive hit for diamond. I told him he should take it to a jeweler and see what its worth?

Its a good size rock, about 1/4 inch or so in diameter, dunno on carats. Guess eyeballing can pay off at times. Another friend found a 50 dollar bill in some bushes near a theater entrance, just eyeballing.

-Tom

[kac]

I found this over the summer with my Tejon. Rang in at the nickels / gold range really loud. Weighs 4g. Unusually heavy for it's size. A magnet won't stick to it but there looks to be some iron in it, guessing too little to detect.

Is it too small for testing?

[Rods]

To find out if a rock is a meteorite, look for the rock to be black or rusty brown, which shows that the meteorite has either just fallen or has been on Earth for some time. Next, determine whether your rock has an irregular shape with rounded edges as this is the typical shape of meteorites.

https://www.mamasminerals.com/How-to-Tell-if-Youve-Found-a-Meteorite_ep_106.html

[millzee]

I am new at this but this rock is just too interesting not to pursue it....It is very heavy, makes a very distinct brown streak on unfinished white tile, and it was not easy to cut a piece off from one of the corners...could it be a meteorite? Please reply on here and/or email me at keithmills@cityofmonett.com

[mn90403]

Meteorwrongs

Do you think you have a meteorite or maybe one hit you?  Look at this before you consult an expert.

 

https://sites.wustl.edu/meteoritesite/items/thud/ 

[mn90403]

Here is a pretty good video showing different meteorites and types.  They aren't what you think until after you see some of these pictures.