[meteorite-list] Congratulations to Jason Utas

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Dec 16 17:54:37 2005
Message-ID: <20051216225434.48556.qmail_at_web51709.mail.yahoo.com>

Would like to publicly congratulate one of our younger
List members, Jason Utas, for his new California
meteorite, this state's first Acapulcoite, Superior
Valley 014.

There is a preliminary write-up for his find here:

http://tinyurl.com/74glt

And it just so happens that, back in 2002, I took an
image of this find:

http://www.geocities.com/bolidechaser/drylakes/suv012-8.jpg

This image was taken in the field from the hatch-back
end of the Utas SUV shortly after Jason and his
father, Peter Utas, made these finds at Superior
Valley (in 2002). Even at that time, Jason was
pointing out that this small (1.77g) stony was
"different looking". I agreed with him on that, and
suggested that he and his father take it to UCLA and
let Alan Rubin examine it.

In anticipation of them doing this, I offered to help
them get provisional numbers from the NomCom for all
of these finds. And as an aid in getting this done, I
suggested that before I take the image, they should
line up all of their finds in the order that they were
found. A minor point, but what resulted is this image
with all their finds side-by-side, and in both
numerical and chronological order. It sort of
explains why we request provisional numbers, even for
these "small" meteorites. It just seems prudent. And
when one of them ends up being an Acapulcoite, it
gives ample justification.

It was serendipity that we crossed paths in the Mojave
Desert on that weekend in September 2002. And the
Utas were very obliging to let me image their recent
finds. So I am very appreciative to them for having
given me the opportunity to record, what is now 3
years later, a not-so-minor event in California
meteorite-recovery.

Jason, along with his dad, have gone on to find many
more California meteorites. And Peter deserves some
credit for getting his son involved in
meteorite-recovery at such an early age. Jason and
Peter should be proud of their accomplishments.

Bob V.
Received on Fri 16 Dec 2005 05:54:34 PM PST