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Update On The Other Monahans Meteorite

I'm passing this message along that I've received from
Everett Gibson about the other piece of the Monahans meteorite, that
will be available to the scientific community.

Ron Baalke
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	I just noticed a photograph of the Monahans meteorite in a recent issue
of PEOPLE magazine (the issue with Prince William on the cover).  The meteorite
was being held by six of the seven young boys from Monahans.  The important
thing about the photograph is that the meteorite has been removed from its
special packaging and now exposed to the elements (i.e. handling in air,
moisture etc.). There is a very high probablility that the halite crystals
have degraded and become unrecognizable!!.  With the "auction" on the horizon
this coming week, it is important that vital information regarding the
uniquiness of the specimen be made known to the public-especially anyone who
plans on bidding for the sample.

	Additional information.  The second Monahans specimen has been loaned again
to NASA Johnson Space Center and a planned disposition of the second specimen
(i.e. the larger of the two samples, 1,344 grams) has been approved by the
City Council of Monahans.  A model of the sample will be prepared.
Approximately one third of the sample will be removed (via wire saw in a
nitrogen filled gloved box at the Curatorial Facility at NASA-JSC).  The
sample removed will be made available to the scientific community for detailed
study.  The consortium study on the Monahans specimen (i.e. portion removed)
will be led by Everett Gibson of NASA-JSC and involve members of the world-
wide meteoritical community.  This announcement will be made during the
presentation of the initial study at the Meteoritical Society meeting in
Dublin, Ireland next week.  The remaining 2/3rds of the Monahans specimen will
be returned to the City of Monahans for display in a controlled atmosphere
cabinet.  The newly produced model will be placed in the original penetration
crater produced in the asphalt street which was cut out from the road.  The
crater with meteorite inside will be displayed.  A sample of the Monahans 1938
iron meteorite will be given to the citizens of Monahans for display (by
Arizona State University) in return for giving a portion of Monahans 1998
meteorite to the scientific community for study.   The citizens of Monahans
will have a very nice meteorite display of meteorites from their community and
their unique stories.  Unon completion of the consortium study of the 1998
meteorite, the material will be deposited at Arizona State University's Center
for Meteorite Study and made available for study beyond the forthcoming
consortium study  The bottom line is that the scientific community will have
future access to the 1998 meteorite for study and will not have to compete in
an auction for material which may be degraded. 

	You have my permission to pass along this information.    

Everett Gibson

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