[meteorite-list] PV way out of hand!

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue May 17 16:58:36 2005
Message-ID: <BAY104-F407053E8961486BE5C031AB3160_at_phx.gbl>

Tom and list,

Most of us have high respect for few meteoritic scientist we have. I don’t
think anyone was balking at your question, but as another member noted, your
lack of sensitivity. There are correct ways to ask questions, and there are
incorrect.

Step back a minute and look at it from a scientist that worked on the
meteorite. You pretty much said they were incompetent and lazy, or at least
was how it came across to me and others.

How would you take that if you worked several hours on the meteorite and
submitted your findings, to get such response? Classifiers do not make
meteorite classifications or names official. They submit their work, and
will note the meteorite classification they believe it to be and a name,
they think is appropiate. The Met Com then decides on the official name and
classification, after getting further information from the scientist or
other scientist as needed. It is not un-common for scientist to not
completely agree, but we...or I guess they...usually seem to come to an
agreement. All in all, it is a pretty good check and balance system.

PV is a unique meteorite. However, it is unlikely it will get it owns class
since it is chemically an H chondrite and the metal seems derived from an H
chondrite body. So now your maybe wondering why it looks the way it
does…..my answer there would be to Google "Portales Valley Meteorite" and
PDF. There are over a dozen of papers online on this meteorite and why it
looks the way it does.

Which makes it one of the most studied US meteorites of recent time.
Perhaps our scientific body is not so lazy.

Do now maybe your wondering, “But it doesn’t look like my H5’s.” We do not
classify meteorites by hand specimen appearance. Classification is more of
a chemical thing now days, although chondrule appearance and the like does
factor in.

Should you still have PV questions, after reading the articles that are
on-line,, you can ask a more specific question. You can not expect anyone
to fully explain such a meteorite over e-mail. Before sending the e-mail,
you might check to see if you are offending anyone, since this line seems to
be blurry to you, I suggest taking a conservative step.

Another example of what I am saying here is your Rubin e-mail last week that
I tried to smooth feathers down. Such formed questions are seen as usually
passive aggressive attacks. If I was Rubin, who had classified an ordinary
NWA chondrite for you a couple weeks earlier…..I would have been annoyed I
think.

In a more pro-Tom note, I got the endcut of his Franconio find that he
placed on ebay last week. Nice looking endcut that was well
polished....about to 800? grit it appears. Tom was kind enough to include a
free extra slice of the meteorite. Only 2.49g., but it is rasor thin,
~1.5mm., and polished on both sides. (Anytime I have tried to polish
anything that thin it usually breaks and flat bed shoots the piece broken
off across the room.)

I bet that daughter of your would be a good meteorite hunter. She seems to
pick up on things pretty fast. I think I would be doing some
father-daughter trips if I was you. ("That's right, for every 20 meteorites
you find I will buy you a barbie.")

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
www.meteoritearticles.com
Received on Tue 17 May 2005 04:58:35 PM PDT