14 replies to this topic

[abbsconey]

Found a pretty neat site (its' free) that hosts a database where you can log your meteorites. Has all sorts of good info, & you can even upload pics of your own rocks! Only took me a few minutes to load my whopping collection as i'm sure others will take longer. My collection name is "rockmeamadeus". I know its corny, but i wanted something with "rock" in it.

Site link: www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com

[The bear]

cool got it
doc

[Glassthrower]

I divide my personal collection into two main categories - falls and finds. This mimics the early format of the large academic collections. This is further broken down into irons, stony, stony-irons (pallasites mainly), tektites, and micromounts.

A "fall" is a witnessed fall with documentated circumstances surrounding the fall and impact. A "find" is a meteorite that was not seen/documented to fall, but was found some period of time after it fell. A find may or may not be found in it's original location and may have changed hands several times before being classified and catalogued.

Falls :

Norton County
Tatahouine
Weston
Kapoeta
New Orleans
Bensour
Peekskill
Tagish Lake
Murchison
Millbillillie
Sikhote Alin
Carancas
Holbrook
Park Forest

Finds :

Canyon Diablo
Seymchan
Gibeon
Campo Del Cielo
Henbury
Pallasovka
Brahin
Nantan
Odessa
Vaca Muerta
NWA 032 (Lunar)
NWA 869
NWA 998 (Martian)
NWA 4293
NWA 4483 (Lunar)
NWA 4528
NWA 4576
NWA 4766 (Martian)
NWA 4880 (Martian)
SAU 001
Numerous UNWA

Tektites/Impactites :

Indochinite
Trinitite
Libyan Desert Glass
Moldavite

The Encyclopedia of Meteorites site is cool, but I wish I had found it before my collection started to grow. I'm too lazy to enter in all of my data, as it would be redundant with my personal catalogue.

[Mike Sandy]

That is cool......

I've just finished building an inventory of my collection. I'm going to think about posting it up there and seeing if that is quicker. You can export an excel spreadsheet from your posted collection - may be a lot easier in the long run.

[molniyabeer]

I've started posting my stuff there, too. Screen name is the same as here in CN.

Mike, I noticed you list a piece of Trinitite in your tektite-related group. Given that it is man-made stuff, what drove your decision to include it?

Clear skies.

[Glassthrower]

Hi Steve,

I include trinitite on my tektite list because I'm not sure where else to put it.

It's an oddball thing. It's not a naturally-occuring substance, and yet it's not entirely "manmade" either. One similarity to tektites is how trinitite was formed. The leading theory of tektite/impactite origins states that the material that makes up tektites was liquified and thrown up into the upper atmosphere by a colossal impact. The material then rained down in a viscous state and solidified as it cooled. This is exactly how trinitite was formed, except the catalyst was a nuclear bomb detonation and not a meteorite impact.

Another reason I list it with my meteorites is because I acquired it from a fellow meteorite dealer and I keep it stored with my tektites. In about a week, a friend of mine is returning from an out of town business trip, and he is bringing a geiger counter home with him. I'm going to test my trinitite sample with it and see how "hot" it is.

[The bear]

i have a question i know there i go again. but with all the satellites and things up in space around us. if one per chance should happen to fall or be shot down and the metals melt would this be considered a terrestrial or non-terrestrial object and if so would it be considered like a meteorite. if so how would it be classified or is this already done?.
doc

[Glassthrower]

Hi Doc,

It happens from time to time. But most manmade objects are not as dense and hardy as meteorites (and not as large). The vast majority of manmade objects that de-orbit will burn up on re-entry. The ones that have any chance to survive are directed to the ocean if possible by ground controllers. I'd say it's quite rare for a piece of satellite to hit the Earth and be found by an amateur. I guess it's possible. I know some meteorite dealers/collectors also collect space program memorabilia, including re-entry relics. I've seen Russian satellites and small re-entry vehicles for sale - and they aren't cheap.

There is typically much discussion by the meteorite hunters on this subject, and there was a lot of chatter during the recent US-govt. shootdown of a spy satellite. I think the hunters would love to find a piece of something like that. The collectors don't chatter about it as much, since they have no opportunity to go out and hunt down the debris. But I'm sure they'd be interested in it. I know I would.

FWIW, any manmade material that plunged to Earth, even if melted beyond recognition, would be distinguished from a true meteorite by lab analysis.

Regards,

MikeG

[molniyabeer]

A surprisingly large amount of stuff does survive reentry. I've seen several fuel tanks (up to about 18" in diameter) that survive due to the strength of the metal (and possibly being shielded inside other structure). I used to work in the Space Control Center inside Cheyenne Mt. and we had a piece of the Apollo 5 lunar module on display. A few larger rocket bodies have thumped down moderately near houses and I believe at least one person was hit by a low-density piece of insullation that survived.

All that being said, I don't think I'd consider space debris a meteorite, just a space age relic. And if I recall correctly, the nation that put it up in the first place is responsible for any damage it causes on reentry.

Clear skies.

[abbsconey]

Got a few parcels in the mail today (Thanks Mike!) & will add them to my list. I got my 1st pallasite which is a 40 gram Brenham end cut which is really neat.

Regarding the previously mentioned man-made meteorites, it quickly reminded me of the "people" who were quick to put Columbia debris up for sale on ebay. While i'd cherish a piece of satellite debris, i could never gain profit from an unfortunate disaster such as that. It's still sad to see the photo's of the people in the midwest placing flowers & flags around taped off debris in streets,parking lots, & lawns. It also makes me proud as well.

[Glassthrower]

Todd,

Did you get a photo of the 40-gram Brenham? Is it a metal piece or a pallasite piece - some Brenham has almost all iron and some has lots of olivine. I bet it's nice.

Regards,

MikeG

[abbsconey]

Evening Mike
Here's a couple pic's:






You can see there's a piece of olivine missing in the one photo. Still it's a beauty for me & probably one of the only pallasite's i'll ever own considering they cost
major :penny:'age per gram.

[Glassthrower]

Sweet!

It's a striking piece.

[csa/montana]

Todd: That is magnificent!

Thanks for the photos, now I'm drooling

Carol

[abbsconey]

Thank you Carol & Mike.
I really like end cuts as they show both sides. Although i realize a thin sliced pallasite would reveal more of its beauty via lighting.