Re: (meteorobs) what does a meteorite look like?

Hello Arlene!

I don't know about the information that I have they are correct, but... there it is going: The fallen Meteorites in the Earth and recovered they add a total of about 2.000; through the several analysis types it could be studied its physical and chemical structure and to formulate hypotheses on its origins.

The total number of Meteorites that collide with our planet is esteemed in 500 a year; but of these 500, 300 finish in the oceans, while a good percentage of the ones that arrives to the soil they drop in uninhabited zones; thus, the number of the ones that is or they can be found annually it is very low and now it doesn't overcome for 10. Daily five tons of meteorites reach the terrestrial atmosphere, but only a ton gets to reach the soil.
Of 1492 up to 1977 765 fall meteorites and 1179 discoveries were collected. Now there was a great increment in this number, mainly after I begin it of the exploration of the polar areas, like Antarctica.
The metallic meteorites are easier to find. Metal pieces found in any song rarely exist. A detector of metals can be used to seek for metallic meteorites, mainly in dry and sterile areas where there is little vegetation covering the ground and penetrandos in him.

Beds of lakes and dry dams are good local for search because the wind when it blows to remove the dust of the surface, leaving the exposed meteorites. Many meteorites are found in the layer of ice of Antarctica.

The number of the discoveries is very low due to desinformation of the great majority of the population regarding the meteorites.

A way exists easy to collect metallic Micrometeorites that they are microscopic particles, and tons of them drop in the Earth all them day.

To collect micrometeorites you need to find a place where they can be concentrated. Tubes of drainage of houses or buildings, they can work well once the water of the rains can drag particles of whole a roof and to collect them through the gutters. But dirt, plants, and all the other material types transported by the air are also collected.

To find metallic micrometeorites, place a recipient under the gutter that picks up the s waters of the rains, vest and dry the material. After removing the leaves and other bodies, place the remaining material on a paper leaf and place a magnet under the paper. Incline and shake the paper so that all the no-metallic particles they sneak out. Many of the remaining metallic particles are pieces of space dust!

To examine them, place the paper in a microscope. It is necessary a great increase to see them clearly. Most of the particles doesn't come from the space but micrometeorites will exhibit signs of its burning trip through the atmosphere. They will be round and they can have small holes in its surfaces.

A lot than you will be selling they are particles that date of the formation of the solar system, about 4,6 billion years! They are remaining body of the raw material that formed the planets and all the other bodies of the solar system and of the Universe. Many of those particles were broken of shocks among asteroids, body spread by the passage of comets and or they dropped of larger objects.

All the meteorites possess small amounts of radioactive materials that are used by the geocronologistics for datation of the meteorites. The ones that were dated by that system they possess ages placed among 4,2 and 4,7 billion of years. The level of radiation of a meteorite is very small to be noxious to the life. Being like this, when being a meteorite, it is possible its collection without risks.

It is easy the recognition of a meteorite due to marked characteristics, as granules, grizzly color, marks of slid away and small depressions as finger marks in mud, caused by the great heating when traveling the atmosphere of the Earth. He won't present edges for having been molded by the resistance of the air.

If his composition is metallic, he can alter the cursor of a compass. For the verification of its composition, you fractures a small piece of the border in order to not to damage the sample, and in case it is a meteorite, it will present or granules, or the mixture of this with metals.

Off Topic
I also like to collect rocks and to work with colored stones, mainly the quartz, healthy really pretty and they also show the perfection of the nature - they don't exist a stone, for minor that is its size, that is the same to the other. In case you wants to speak on the subject, to change information and or to change rocks. e-mail me gregio@dglnet.com.br