[meteorite-list] Meteorite Heading For Rifle

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:40 2004
Message-ID: <200305161654.JAA09020_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.postindependent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030516/VALLEYNEWS/305150031

Meteorite heading for Rifle
By Carrie Click
Post Independent (Colorado)
May 16, 2003

RIFLE - A meteorite is coming home.

Well, at least a replica of a meteorite is. The original iron meteorite
discovered years ago near Rifle is now part of the permanent collection at
the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. It is the largest iron meteorite in
the Denver museum's collection.

The original, full-sized meteorite weighed 226 pounds, and is the
third-largest iron meteorite of the 75 recorded meteorites found in
Colorado.

Volunteers from the Denver museum recently made a plaster of paris replica
that will be presented to the Rifle Creek Museum, 337 East Ave., at a
special ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28.

Jack Murphy, curator of geology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and
head of the museum's meteorite research team, will attend the event, and
will discuss the history of the Rifle meteorite and the significance of the
replica being donated to the Rifle Creek Museum.

In addition, space science representatives from the Denver museum will be on
hand to talk with educators.

"It is one of Colorado's more interesting meteorites," said Murphy. "The
scientific community discredited it for a number of years because it was
thought to be a piece of the iron meteorite found at Meteor Crater, Ariz.,
that was somehow transported to Rifle."

Scientists have discovered that's not the case. After detailed chemical
analysis, the Rifle meteorite has been reinstated with full status as a
genuine meteorite and is listed in the "World Catalog of Meteorites."
One of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science's goals in researching the
Rifle meteorite is to contact science teachers about teaching the relevance
of meteorites to Colorado school students. The museum's All Sky camera
network now operates at about a dozen Colorado schools, and records the
paths and intensity of fireballs that may deposit meteorites on the Earth's
surface.

Contact Carrie Click: 945-8515, ext. 518
cclick_at_postindependent.com
Received on Fri 16 May 2003 12:54:36 PM PDT