[meteorite-list] Re: Moss meteorite

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Aug 12 16:03:23 2006
Message-ID: <023601c6be4a$57e76e40$7540e146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi, All,


    This accounting would put the total mass in the
range of 3261 gm. to 4261 gm. and the guessing-game
winner would be Jim Strope on the low end and
Alex Seidel at the high end, with the dividing line
between them being at a total of 3705.71 gm.
    Still, that 1000 gram uncertainty is a little vague.
I guess we won't know for sure for a while. And who
knows, years down the line, what the official weight
will be when it's published in MetBul?
    After leading through the first turn, I was cleanly
passed on the back stretch... What was interesting
to me was that my guess was the result of a logical
methodology I cooked up to produce an estimate
of the total recoverable weight of a fall based on
strewnfield size and posted the figures to the List
(method explained in "Norwegian Meteorite Weight
Guess," July 19, 2006). I was surprised that it
worked so well.
    At the last minute, I cut my estimate about in half
because I thought finding the stones in Norway
would be extra difficult, but the truth is: except for
the blank expanse of a desert or dry lake bed, most
places on Earth are equally difficult to search, just
for different reasons. If I'd stuck with 5500 gm.,
I might, 2-3 years later, have been right.
    I need to apply the methodology I created to all
the falls I can find data on, turn it into an universal
formula, and see how it predicts future falls. If I ever
do that, I will report it here. It would be a useful tool
and a big help to hunters, if it worked...
    Meanwhile, the project to produce a high quality
pseudo-champagne to celebrate my short-lived lead
in the Meteorite Sweepstakes was very successful,
although it required a lot of taste testing... I plan
to market the resulting concoction under the name
SHAMPAGNE. Like all fine non-wine wine products,
it's a varietal, and will be available in Regular and Diet!


Sterling K. Webb
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bjorn Sorheim" <astrogeo_at_online.no>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>; <bolidechaser@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 11:00 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Re: Moss meteorite


>
> Hello Robert,
> Sorry for not answering yor email around the times I went to Moss.
> I had no Internet acess there, and it was extremely hot and hectic
> there too... :-)
>
> You are right about the stone we first heard about on the 23rd
> of July. Believe it or not that's my birthday! So it was a tremendous
> day for me...!
> This stone, (found prior to Morten/Farmer/Wards stone) was picked up by
> the original finder in the middle of the week before this. Wedensday the
> 19th I think, but it was originally spotted one or two days before.
>
> Some of what happened on that day:
> On Sunday the 23rd I was searching around on my own, along the center
> line as it seemed to appear at the time using the two first finds.
>
> I parked my car where the 'centerline' met with the lake area about
> 1 km NW of the 752g Johansen stone. I zigzagged from this spot following
> the roads in the dwelling area NW of the 752 stone. I talked to several
> of Johansens neighbours, one living just 3 houses away knew nothing about
> any meteorite at all. His son of about 12 said when he heard about it:'
> What -
> a meteorite here!!!!!'.
> One of his other neighbours new about the Martinsen
> find but not of his neighbours much bigger fall! He had just arrived from
> the holiday when I met him. I told them to carefully search their gardens,
> and I did fully tell them what was the real value of a stone like this.
> Not all
> seemed to believe what I was telling them...
> When I had passed Johansen house and went through a narrow bush area
> I met up with the water on the SE side. I went back again in a large
> circle around
> the Johansen neighbourhood following the roads. I saw nothing of interest,
> just some glassy factory slag that certainly would catch the locals
> attention
> as a possible meteorite. I went down to the water in the SE for the second
> time. I was a bit tired of this now.
>
> Michael Mazur on this day had been searching in the area around Martinsens
> cabin where he chanced upon Gren and Ralew from Germany and Marcins polish
> team. They had found nothing either. Then he suddenly called me, he was
> now
> just north of Johansens house, by the playing ground. So I went up to him,
> a bit
> desolated, and he told me had to go back home for his job the next day.
> Mazur as the smart guy he is, had succeded in getting an article in the
> Moss
> newspaper with the title 'Meteorite-hunter on the spot' ( he asked me to
> join
> him on this, but I was to tired or to accustomed to use such a way for
> hunting
> meteorites, so I turned down his offer - stupid of me).
> Anyway, as I met Mazur with his car and he told me he had to leave for
> home
> quite soon now, I said:'Well, at least you should a get a real interesting
> local
> stone with you as a memory [as long as you didn't find a meteorite]!' So,
> off I went
> into the thickest bush, where I half an hour before had spotted a good
> example
> of a rhombic-porfyric (norw:'rombeporfyr') volcanic rock so typical of the
> permian
> volcanism around the Oslofjord area.
>
> When I came back to his car with his souvenir, IT had happened!
> He had just then gotten a phone call because of the article in the
> newspaper that day.
> He was talking to them. He said to me, 'This sounds interesting, we should
> check
> this out!' I placed his souvenir on the floor of the car quickly....
> And, off we went.
> We met the excited finders. A fairly flat stone wrapped in aluminum foil
> was shown
> to us. We had our doubts at this point.
> Off the cover went. 'Is this a .....?'
>
> Well, a split-second later it was clear to both of us!!
> A fairly large stone with 2/3 of black crust, some spots non crusted and
> with a middle-dark gray interior, was there right before our eyes.
> It certainly was a beautiful example of the 'Moss'-fall, just the type
> the whole bunch of meteorite-searchers hab been looking for most of
> the week.
>
> We were so lucky to later find more pieces that day where we learned the
> rock
> had originally been found..
> What a birthday celebration for a meteorite-hunter...!
>
> So the list should be like this, I have ammended some information:
>
> 1. 35 gr - The first at Martinsens cabin, found friday
> 14. july 1025 (as the fall time)
> 2. 750 gr - Johansens house, monday 17. july.
> 3. 1-2 kg in all - 19th/23rd July. NW of Johansen stone
> 4. 800 gr - Who M. Bilet found together with Mike Farmer
> sunday 30 july. No location information.
> 5. 676 gr - Found on a company`s roof friday 4 august.
>
> When I came back to the hotel that evening with my equipment and alone,
> I spotted some guys at a table which I had not met in real life before...
> One of them loking my way, I certainly thought it must be the one and
> only Mike Farmer!
> One guy with long curly hair, seemingly having a good time, had
> his back towards me. It had to be Robert Haag.
> The meteorite world had come to Norway...
> A memorable birthday.
>
> Bj?rn S?rheim,
> in Norway
>
>
>
> > Hello Morton and List,
> >
> > This may be just a minor point but for purposes of
> > clarification, I would like to suggest that your list
> > of found stones be renumbered. It has already become
> > a matter of public record that the 3rd stone was found
> > prior to 23 July. See Mike Mazur's post:
> >
> > <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2006-August/186072.html>
> >
> > You and I have talked at length about this "3rd stone"
> > before you made your find of the 4th stone, and there
> > are already a number of email messages that have made
> > reference to the "23July find" being the 3rd stone.
> > Maintaining the chronology that you intended in your
> > listing of the Moss meteorite finds will minimize
> > confusion "down the road".
> >
> > Thanks for giving this some consideration, and
> > congratulations for being the first meteorite hunter
> > to find a whole stone of the Moss meteorite!
> > Bob V.
> >
> >
> > ----------------- Original Message ------------------
> > [meteorite-list] Moss meteorite
> > Morten Bilet barb-o at online.no
> > Thu Aug 10 03:43:05 EDT 2006
> >
> > Hi meteorite mailinglist.
> >
> > I`m one of the finder of the Moss-meteorite (I found
> > together with Mike F) It will come a full report with
> > all details later from Knut J?rgen R?ed ?degaard and
> > me about this fall. But can here summarize little. So
> > far its been found five stones at total weight at
> > aprox 3,1 kg.
> >
> > 1. 35 gr - The first at Martinsens cabin, found friday
> > 14. july 1025 (as the fall time)
> > 2. 750 gr - Johansens house, monday 17. july.
> > 3. 800 gr - Who I together with Mike Farmer found
> > sunday 30 july.
> > 4. 6-800gr - [23July] Its minimal information about
> > this stone. Michael Mazur or Bj?rn S?rheim have some
> > info.
> > 5. 676 gr - Found on a company`s roof friday 4 august.
> >
> > I have seen all the stones in my hand exept nr. 4 only
> > at pictures. Nr. 2 and 5 are whole pieces (very
> > minimal damage) They are also paired. Nr. 3 are in
> > many pieces. Nr. 4 are at least in two pieces (maybe
> > more) and the smallest nr. 1 has lost some few smaller
> > pieces.
> > Over a kilo is available at the marked so far, but not
> > nr. 1, 2 and 5.
> >
> > Havent time for more details now, are in the
> > strewnfield every day (I live only 20 minutes from the
> > strewnfield) Full report later.
> >
> > Best wishes
> >
> > Morten Bilet
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
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Received on Sat 12 Aug 2006 04:03:12 PM PDT