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From: bogus_at_does.not.exist.com_at_meteoritecentral.com
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:13:45 2004
Message-ID: <mailman.35.1082643225.92629.meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>

pieces of Mt. Joy meteorite in the Museum of Natural History in Vienna =
reminded me to write up my notes on the nine pieces of the meteorite =
from south of Gettyburg which are on exhibit there in Austria.
     My studies of specimens of the Mt. Joy meteorite in the Smithsonian =
Museum in Washington and in several European museums indicate that it is =
not just one more iron meteorite but is outstanding for its very coarse =
granular or brecciated structure. It is also of special interest that =
Vienna and Washington authorities differ in classifying the Mt. Joy =
iron. In the Viennese museum it is said to be an octahedrite, but in =
the more recently assembled meteorite collection at the Smithsonain =
their single specimen is called a hexahedrite meteorite.
     Near the middle of the first room of the large meteorite section of =
the museum in Vienna are three small pieces of the Mt. Joy iron each =
with a polished flat surface showing it to consist of large, irregular =
shaped granules of metal 1 to 2 inches across which are separated by =
dark, irregular boundary lines. A fourth polished specimen shows =
inclusions of non-metallic materials, one of which is belived to be =
hematite (ferric oxide).
     Several of the Mt. Joy polished surfaces in Vienna have been =
treated with acide to produce the famous Widmanstaetten figures, =
different series of parallel lines showing the complex octahedral or =
hexahedral structure of such meteorites. The Vienne exhibit explains =
that these lines result from the complex composition of kamacite (bar =
iron of 5 to 7 percent nickel, tenite (band or ribbon iron of 25-30 =
percent nickel) and plessite (a falling mixture of both kamacite and =
tenite). The nickel content overall is said to be between 6 and 8 =
percent.
     Recent research suggest that iron-nickel meteorites of such complex =
structure as the Mt. Joy could only form in the interior of fair-sized =
planets or asteroids.(at least 200 miles diameter) where cooling occured =
not faster than 10 degrees C in a million years. Many scientists =
believe that asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter have supplied =
such meteorites to the earth. Of course, the iron-nickel structures of =
such meteorites cannot be duplicated in the laboratory.
     One etched polished Mt. Joy section shows unusally wide band =
structure in the Widmanstaetten figures, over one inch wide. This, =
together with teh conglomerate or brecciated structure of large =
urregular metal pieces showing different polished luster, make the Mt. =
Joy meteorite unique. The Vienna museum states that a somewhat similar =
iron-nickel meteorite is the Amswortj meteorite of Nebraska (1907) H. H. =
Nininger, the well-known expert of American Meteorite Museum at Sedona, =
Arizona, hs written that the Mt. Joy meteorite is similar to the iron =
meteorite from Sandia, New Mexico, in having the appearance of serarate =
pieces of metal pressed together.
     Near windows marked numbers 30 and 31 (Vienna) atre two large =
polished sections of the Mt. Joy meteorite each with its sepatate glass =
case. One of these peice weighs 141 kg ( about 310 pounds). One of the =
large pieces, unfortunately shows deterioration by rusting although =
polished museum meteorite surfaces normally are protected by an oil =
coatig.
     Several years ago George Olinger and I wrote to the Vienna Museum =
inquiring for the Adams County Historical Society into the possibility =
of exchanging one fo the small pieces of the Mt. Joy meteorite for =
Amercian Indian artifacts or other valuable American museum material. =
We did not receive a reply. Surely somewhere in the world a piece of =
the Mt. Joy iron can be purchased for permanent public display in =
Gettysburg. Gettysburg travelers in Europe should keep this objective =
in mind. Apparently no specimen from the Mt. Joy meteorite now exists =
in Adams County. However, I will be glad to be corrected on this by =
readers of the Gettysburg Times.
Sincerely yours,=20
C. E. Schildknecht
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<DIV>Title: Gettysburg Times <BR>City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania =
<BR>Date:=20
Saturday, August 29, 1970<BR>Page: 5</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>From "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR" Section<BR>Dear=20
Sir:<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A photograph in the Gettysburg Times =
recently=20
of one of the large pieces of Mt. Joy meteorite in the Museum of Natural =
History=20
in Vienna reminded me to write up my notes on the nine pieces of the =
meteorite=20
from south of Gettyburg which are on exhibit there in=20
Austria.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; My studies of specimens of the Mt. =
Joy=20
meteorite in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington and in several =
European=20
museums indicate that it is not just one more iron meteorite but is =
outstanding=20
for its very coarse granular or brecciated structure.&nbsp; It is also =
of=20
special interest that Vienna and Washington authorities differ in =
classifying=20
the Mt. Joy iron.&nbsp; In the Viennese museum it is said to be an =
octahedrite,=20
but in the more recently assembled meteorite collection at the =
Smithsonain their=20
single specimen is called a hexahedrite =
meteorite.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Near the middle of the first room of the large meteorite section of the =
museum=20
in Vienna are three small pieces of the Mt. Joy iron each with a =
polished flat=20
surface showing it to consist of large, irregular shaped granules of =
metal 1 to=20
2 inches across which are separated by dark, irregular boundary =
lines.&nbsp; A=20
fourth polished specimen shows inclusions of non-metallic materials, one =
of=20
which is belived to be hematite (ferric =
oxide).<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Several of the Mt. Joy polished surfaces in Vienna have been treated =
with acide=20
to produce the famous Widmanstaetten figures, different series of =
parallel lines=20
showing the complex octahedral or hexahedral structure of such =
meteorites.&nbsp;=20
The Vienne exhibit explains that these lines result from the complex =
composition=20
of kamacite (bar iron of 5 to 7 percent nickel, tenite (band or ribbon =
iron of=20
25-30 percent nickel) and plessite (a falling mixture of both kamacite =
and=20
tenite).&nbsp; The nickel content overall is said to be between 6 and 8=20
percent.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recent research suggest that =
iron-nickel=20
meteorites of such complex structure as the Mt. Joy could only form in =
the=20
interior of fair-sized planets or asteroids.(at least 200 miles =
diameter) where=20
cooling occured not faster than 10 degrees C in a million years.&nbsp; =
Many=20
scientists believe that asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter have =

supplied such meteorites to the earth.&nbsp; Of course, the iron-nickel=20
structures of such meteorites cannot be duplicated in the=20
laboratory.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One etched polished Mt. Joy =
section=20
shows unusally wide band structure in the Widmanstaetten figures, over =
one inch=20
wide.&nbsp; This, together with teh conglomerate or brecciated structure =
of=20
large urregular metal pieces showing different polished luster, make the =
Mt. Joy=20
meteorite unique.&nbsp; The Vienna museum states that a somewhat similar =

iron-nickel meteorite is the Amswortj meteorite of Nebraska (1907) H. H. =

Nininger, the well-known expert of American Meteorite Museum at Sedona, =
Arizona,=20
hs written that the Mt. Joy meteorite is similar to the iron meteorite =
from=20
Sandia, New Mexico, in having the appearance of serarate pieces of metal =
pressed=20
together.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Near windows marked numbers 30 and =
31=20
(Vienna) atre two large polished sections of the Mt. Joy meteorite each =
with its=20
sepatate glass case.&nbsp; One of these peice weighs 141 kg ( about 310=20
pounds).&nbsp; One of the large pieces, unfortunately shows =
deterioration by=20
rusting although polished museum meteorite surfaces normally are =
protected by an=20
oil coatig.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Several years ago George Olinger =
and I=20
wrote to the Vienna Museum inquiring for the Adams County Historical =
Society=20
into the possibility of exchanging one fo the small pieces of the Mt. =
Joy=20
meteorite for Amercian Indian artifacts or other valuable American =
museum=20
material.&nbsp; We did not receive a reply.&nbsp; Surely somewhere in =
the world=20
a piece of the Mt. Joy iron can be purchased for permanent public =
display in=20
Gettysburg.&nbsp; Gettysburg travelers in Europe should keep this =
objective in=20
mind.&nbsp; Apparently no specimen from the Mt. Joy meteorite now exists =
in=20
Adams County.&nbsp; However, I will be glad to be corrected on this by =
readers=20
of the Gettysburg Times.<BR>Sincerely yours, <BR>C. E.=20
Schildknecht</DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0063_01C3067C.6F00A350--
Received on Thu 22 Apr 2004 09:37:32 AM PDT


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