[meteorite-list] Help with a Strange Rock

From: Mark Fox <unclefireballmtf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:31 2004
Message-ID: <20020605172947.71005.qmail_at_web14904.mail.yahoo.com>

May 5, 2002

Greetings Ron and Fellow Meteorite Enthusiasts!

I do not know of any meteorite that attracts other
metallic objects naturally, but I do think it is
possible to artificially produce this effect and thus
change one into a magnet.

Nevertheless, when I was studying my first suspected
meteorite (which was said to be some form of
sphalerite) it also bore a weak magnetic attraction
for iron objects. Perhaps your suspicious rock is
something similar or in fact may be a chunk of
magnetite (also known as lode stone) which is rather
commonly found with this property.

Hematite, by the way, is not usually magnetic to begin
with.

Long strewn fields!

Mark Fox
Newaygo, MI USA
   

--- MrX3010_at_aol.com wrote:
> Hello I would like some information please, I found
> a strange heavy rock this
> weekend at a yard sale. I bought it because it was
> rather nice and I thought
> it might be raw hematite. However later I thought
> it might be a meteorite
> but although it does attract a magnet and passes
> every test (except chemical
> analysis) I could find on the web, it also exhibits
> a very weak magnetic
> field. I have never heard of this associated with a
> meteorite. Any ideas of
> what it might be?
>
> Thanks,
> Ron
>


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Received on Wed 05 Jun 2002 01:29:47 PM PDT