[meteorite-list] Lafayette-a possible fall?

From: meteorites_at_space.com <meteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:36 2004
Message-ID: <20001219054621.11156.cpmta_at_c000.snv.cp.net>

On Mon, 18 December 2000, Robert Verish wrote:

>
> Dear Bernd & List
>
> When I retell the Lafayette meteorite story to people
> that have not heard it before, very often I get asked
> the question, "What exactly do the records for the
> collection at the University say about who donated
> this specimen? What does the curator for the
> collection remember about how the specimen was
> acquired?"
>
> Does anybody have a detailed answer to these
> questions, or did these questions prove to be too
> embarrassing to the University and they never got
> documented in detail?
>
> Bob V.
>

Unfortunately,

The curator at the time is long since deceased, but I do recall my conversation with Nininger on this meteorite after I had acquired my .87 gram sample of it. He had spoken to the curator at the time, and the story came from him.

Certain is the fact that this meteorite is perfectly oriented, and is absolutely fresh with all of the weathering in its matrix attributed to the martian environment.

It is also distinct in composition from Nakhla.

As for the story of its fall and find, Nininger was inclined to believe it-- and that is good enough for me.

Steve Schoner, AMS


 
> ================================================
> Message: 18
> Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 01:07:24 +0100
> From: Bernd Pauli HD
> To: mmorgan_at_mhmeteorites.com
> Cc: Meteorite-List
>
> Subject: Re:[meteorite-list] Lafayette-a possible
> fall?
>
> Matt Morgan schrieb:
>
> > Not long ago, I remember reading somewhere that the
> > Nakhlite Lafayette may have been a witnessed fall.
> > However, I cannot seem to find the reference! An
> > old Nininger pub comes to mind, but I am drawing a
> > blank. Can someone help me out? I know this stone
> was
> > unharmed while on earth, but does show signs
> > of ET weathering. Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Hi Matt and List,
>
> S t e v e S c h o n e r posted this to the List in
> Apr 1999!
>
> The Published Papers of H.H. Nininger: pp. 247-251.
>
> Nothing is known regarding the time at which this
> remarkable meteorite fell, but its fresh appearance
> renders it practically certain that it had not lain on
> the earth for a very long time before it was picked up
> and protected against abuses of a mechanical nature.
> The story is told that a colored student of Purdue
> University reported that a number of years ago while
> fishing at the edge of a little lake he was frightened
> by the falling of a stone at a distance of only a few
> feet from him.
> This stone he later dug from the soft mud and found it
> to be "shaped just like a "corn pone" and of about the
> same size. For a time he preserved the stone. It was
> thought that he had brought it to the University, but
> these reports have not been substantiated for the
> reason that the person could not be located.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Bernd
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Tue 19 Dec 2000 12:46:21 AM PST