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tektites as silica meteorites


I have seen the same statement about tektites being silica meteorites. I
would never personally call them that but if a meteorite is an object that
passes through the earth's atmosphere to land on the ground from space,
then certainly
some tektites clearly fit the definition. We know from their ablated
surface and flange that australites have made a hypersonic passage through
the atmosphere. The question is how long does something need to be in space
(even near space) to qualify as a meteorite when it returns.

I have also heard people refer to returning space junk, stuff we've put in
orbit
as man made meteorites.

But, if tektites have a terrestrial origin and only a brief stay in
''space'' as part of their trajectory they should not in my opinion be
classed on an equal level as irons and stones which are not from earth and
have spent billions of years in space. 

Jim Tobin
The Meteorite Exchange
www.meteorite.com
P.O.7000-455, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 USA