[meteorite-list] Quick hello and thoughts on Shirokovsky

From: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jul 8 16:39:33 2004
Message-ID: <008501c46524$1d311340$6401a8c0_at_c1720188a>

Hi List,

Just a quick note to say hello. I am starting to get caught up on emails
and am now receiving List postings. Some really interesting topics have
been posted lately, including the Shirokovsky objects.

My feelings have not changed regarding this pseudometeorite. It looks man
made to me and the way it was presented to the public leaves me suspicious.
Some things that bother me are:

* Slices were sold without any external surfaces
* Mass cut, prepared and labeled like inventory you would find in a hardware
store,
   not the way typical meteorite dealers do business. As far as I know, not
a single
   complete stone, end-cut or complete slice was ever offered. Why is this?
* A website was created immediately with images trying too hard to sell the
story. It
   looked like a well thought out marketing campaign to me not something
that naturally
   unfolded.
* Was sold with fake scientific documentation when first announced.
* Most faces are obscured in expedition photos, again not natural.
* Was continued to be sold as a meteorite even after being discredited.
* The nickel content is too high to show crystallization patterns.
* People nobody ever heard of were involved in its distribution.
* ...and a lot more troubling thoughts.

These circumstances lead me to believe there is a lot more to the story.
Maybe I am too suspicious but this one just doesn't feel right to me.

All the best,

Adam Hupe
The Hupe Collection
Team LunarRock
IMCA 2185
Received on Thu 08 Jul 2004 03:45:24 PM PDT