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Re: (meteorobs) Meteorite Tests
November 29, 2001
Greetings Derek!
Interesting rock. However, there are indeed more
tests that you can do on your own to better conclude
if you have found a real space rock.
1. Check to see how thick your suspected "fusion
crust" is and what color. Most fusion crusts are only
a few millimeters deep. The color, on the other hand
can vary a bit. A great deal of them are glossy black
when freshly fallen. Some may appear rusty brown and
even crumbling apart---which is associated with a
specimen that has been weathered over time.
Interestingly, in some very rare instances, they may
even appear a tan brown, or even a cream color.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that many meteorites will
appear lighter colored when their interiors are
exposed than the darker outer surfaces.
2. Check to see if you spy any free iron-nickel
inside your suspicious rock, which may composed nearly
the whole inside of the rock in question, or appear
only as shiny grains or flakes. Now, what I am
referring to is a real metal alloy which looks like
steel, and not an iron mineral. This test is very
important since iron-nickel metal is very rarely found
on earth, but is quite abundant in many types of
meteorites. There are exceptions, naturally.
In all cases, a small piece of the suspected meteorite
must be separated in order to properly conduct these
tests. Of course, breaking off a piece will not harm
such a possible collectible, but only help it to be
worth more if genuine.
Feel free to ask any questions.
My e-mail is unclefireballmtf@yahoo.com.
Long strewn fields!
Mark Fox
Newaygo, MI USA
--- WaveMaster516@aol.com wrote:
> Hello. Does anyone know of any simple home tests I
> can do to find out if a
> rock is a meteorite? I THINK (emphasis on think) I
> have found one, but I
> don't feel like going to a museum and I don't want
> to butcher it either.
> My rock is magnetic, and extremely heavy for its
> size. It has what is
> obviously metled whatever-it-is on the surface. And
> I found it on the beach,
> which could very well be the reason for the small
> spot of sand stuck into the
> side of it and the bits of rust.
> Thanks.
> Derek
> The archive and Web site for our list is at
> http://www.meteorobs.org
> If you are interested in complete links on the 2001
> LEONIDS, see:
> http://www.meteorobs.org/storms.html
> To stop getting email from the 'meteorobs' list, use
> the Web form at:
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If you are interested in complete links on the 2001 LEONIDS, see:
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