(meteorobs) Meteorite pix

Matt Mundorf MattM at trafconinc.com
Wed Dec 3 14:54:47 EST 2008


Heya everyone,

 

One thing that I'm curios about.  Could any of these crash landed
meteorites be radioactive?  Or is that really rare that toxic
radioactivity is a concern when handling newly discovered fallen
objects?

 

 

Thanks,
Matt

 

-----Original Message-----



From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org
[mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Bruce McCurdy
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 12:07 PM
To: Global Meteor Observing Forum
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Meteorite pix

 

 

    The meteorites in the initial find, including the one pictured with 

Ellen, were frozen into the ice and had to be chipped out with a
geologist's 

hammer.

 

    The four fragments that Frank and I discovered the next day were
also in 

ice. The two medium-sized fragments (2-3 cm) were embedded but could be 

lifted out, leaving a small depression in the ice with some liquid water
in 

it. The larger fragment was frozen solid with just a portion protruding,
and 

needed to be chipped out. The smallest one was also frozen in, and in
fact 

the entire object was slightly below the surface.

 

    We got the distinct impression that there was a freeze/thaw process
at 

play. The afternoon we discovered them the ice was a little soft in
places, 

especially where direct sunlight fell (which was limited by the low sun 

angle and the fact the pond was in a valley). By then of course it was
nine 

days after the fall, so this thaw/freeze process may well have been
repeated 

on several occasions.

 

    I really have no idea if the meteorites came to rest exactly where
they 

landed, or if they hit and bounced and their encasement in ice all
occurred 

subsequently.

 

    I will shortly have access to Frank's pictures from our recovery
zone; 

we only took one camera on that scramble down a rather daunting
embankment. 

If there's a good close-up I will post it to the website.

 

    Bruce

    *****

 

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