[meteorite-list] A WHOPPER FROM DEMING, NM

From: meteorites_at_space.com <meteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:46:23 2004
Message-ID: <20010513165644.16594.cpmta_at_c000.snv.cp.net>

On Sun, 13 May 2001, almitt wrote:

>
> Hi Steve and all,
>
> Well............in the purest sense, all terrestrial material came from the solar nebula and condensed into what is now the Earth (after multiple impacts of the
> planetesimals) so perhaps we need higher numbers to represent this "meteorite material" we have here on Earth after the differentiation has taken place :-)

Right,

But this does not by definition make such differentiated material "meteorites." Earth rocks yes, meteorites, no.

>
> I haven't been able to figure a classification since we would sample nearly all classes and even some we probably don't know about and some that are obsolete today.
>
> Disclaimer (just kidding)
>
> I noticed that he hasn't given any good explanations as to why he thinks they are meteorites. Sometimes its a good question to ask someone who is absolutely sure. I am sure
> Steve has been over this with him.
>

Yes, I have. Yet he does not seem to get it.

I think the simplest and best definition for meteorites is the one that Nininger proposed.

"Meteorite: "A mass of matter too small to be regarded as a minor planet, traveling in space as an unattached unit, traversing the atmosphere, or having landed on the earth, or some other planet, and still retaining its identity." (Dr. H. H. Nininger 1933)

It covers all the bases, and is broad enough to include the odd meteorites that come up.

In this learning to recognize what is and isn't is the key.

Steve Schoner, AMS

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Received on Sun 13 May 2001 12:56:44 PM PDT