[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

(meteorobs) Prospecting for Metorites

I'm going to cover several topics here, some just grazing on 
topic status, but some of the most interesting e-mails on this list 
have deviated off topic, and I feel that as we get to know each other 
over time, it fills out our understanding of individuals.

       One of the most spectaular meteors I saw happen to appear 
normal, then it apparently leveled out and moved directly away from 
me. It foreshortened to a point of light, a white dot, surrounded by 
the luminous tail for several seconds until it died out. It didn't 
look like any type of flare at all, hanging in the sky like it did. 
Let me say that to save money various rescue units perhaps should have 
radioscatter equipment to match reports of flares to recorded meteors. 
At $1000-$2000 per hour for some of the helicopers, it would pay for 
itself pretty quick, but more than one flare seen by one indidiual 
must be considered a valid report.

       It seems George Zay and I have simular interests, prospecting. 
I've gotten away from it because when the Desert Protection Act became 
law I lost a great prospect with good gold, silver and copper values,
all within a few hundred yards of homes and a highway, some wilderness 
this was. I was president of a mining club for three years.
     
       One of the things I did over the years was pan for gold along 
the beaches, even got published in "The Gold Prospector" in Ap/May 
issue in '85-'86 (forget which year) about gold on the beaches. Some 
time after the article I went to Del Mar Beach and recovered a little 
gold, brass nails (ocean resistant) a few bits of gold about 3 lbs. of 
lead and five little things that looked like small meteorites. The 
chances that they are metorites is small but this is an environment 
where one could reasonably expect to find such resistant (hardened by 
entry) and heavy items, with lead, gold and other metal objects that 
can be recovered by regular panning and saving of the concentrates so 
they can be inspected at leasure. This was done when the sand levels 
were at their lowest of the year and in an area that naturally 
concentrated heavy items. But for people who want to find meteorites, 
bedrock panning along the beaches during low sand may provide results.

       I would like someone to tell me how distant would a metoer 
sighting be if it was at 100 km (62 miles) high but was seen on the 
horizon at sea level? I saw a bright meteor once like that and I've 
wondered how far away it was, oh yes, it didn't look anything like a 
flair either.                         Dave English

To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'meteorobs' email list, use the Web form at:
http://www.tiacdot net/users/lewkaren/meteorobs/subscribe.html