[meteorite-list] Colorado Meteorite Locations on Google Earth

From: Walter L. Newton <newtonw2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jun 29 20:07:48 2006
Message-ID: <016201c69bcf$7b2dc310$6ad70818_at_walter>

Hi Matt

It's interesting that you put up this list today. I live in Golden and just
a few days ago I went to the MB database and placed set points in Google
Earth for all the Colorado meteorites they had on file.

The Apex find intriqued me. One, because the find spot (according to the
MB)is just above me on the mesa top. Two, because the find was a single
stoney L6 at 6.1 grams.

The size and location seemed strange to me. There is NO location place name
that would explain the Apex name. The MB database shows the find on the
north side of Golden, on the mesa top (where the Castle Rock and Lookout
Rock out-crops are).

But, on the south side of Golden is the Apex Gulch and Apex Park (part of
Jefferson County Open Space). The find rock is at the Denver Museum of
Nature and Science. So I email Dr. Logan Ivy, curator, about this.

Here was part of his answer...

"Try 39 43'N and 105 12'W. This puts the site near the mouth of Apex Gulch.
Remember, the Meteoritical Bulletin locations are rounded.
Google Earth probably uses WGS84 as a datum, but the map coordinates were
probably derived from a USGS topo sheet, which will use the NAD27 datum.
Try using Topozone.com.

Logan Ivy"

I edited the set point in my Google Earth and Dr. Ivy's coordinates placed
the find spot about 1/8 of a mile north of Apex Gulch.

Closer but no cigar.

The text of the MB listing says the meteorite was found at the remains of a
Plains Indian camp. There was a Plains Indian camp at the mouth of Apex
Gulch and the site was studied in 1938 (the find date), 1958/59 and 1995/96.

In 1962 most of this archaeology site was cover over by the parking lot of
the newly opened Magic Mountain amusement park, the second theme park in the
US (Disney being the first). Only at the north end of the upper parking lot
was any of the archaeology site still available. Now a days even the exposed
site has be filled back in.

I went over to Apex Park this morning and took a few pictures. Magic
Mountain is gone, but the original Victorian faced building are now used as
shops, a live theatre, and a handfull of amusement rides. It's now called
Heritage Square.

It's a shame that the archaeology site has been covered.

About the meteorite. I don't think there was EVER a fall at this sight. This
single stone probably belonged to one of the Indians who camped here. Dr.
Ivy concurs.

Questions: (I'm a Newbie at this). Can the MB database be updated to better
reflect the location? Can the MB text be updated to reflect the nature of
the find and note that there probably was not a fall at this site?

It would be nice if there was a fall here, because that would mean that
there could be some pickings waiting to be found.

I'm going to take the Apex Gulch trail in a few weeks and scope out the
ground. Maybe I'll see something. Maybe I'll loose a few pounds.

Walter Newton
Golden, Co.
Received on Thu 29 Jun 2006 06:58:05 PM PDT