[meteorite-list] Catch A Falling Star (Meteorites)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Nov 12 23:50:18 2006
Message-ID: <200611130450.UAA24045_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/lifeHomeNews/11122006news75810.cfm

Catch a falling star
By Tricia Jones
The Columbian (Washington)
November 12, 2006

It may not have been the most traumatic event in his childhood, but Stan
Seeberg still remembers the day when a piece of the universe was
splintered to smithereens.

Or so he thought.

When Seeberg was about 8 years old, a teenaged prankster who knew the
boy's interest in meteorites invited him to hold a stone from space.

"I was enthralled," said Seeberg, founder of the Vancouver Sidewalk
Astronomers. "Then he grabbed it away and smashed it to bits. I believe
I cried." Seeing how upset Seeberg was, the teen confessed that the
broken pieces came from a rock painted with black shoe polish.

The shock didn't cause Seeberg to forsake his love for meteorites. Now,
some 56 years later, he's still enamored of these hard-edged emissaries
of outer space -- though he's quick to point out that he's not an
expert, just an enthusiast.

Seeberg has plenty of company.

The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, the International Space Station,
and the historic proximity of Mars in 2003 have all contributed to a
growing public interest in space, according to Dan Gerhards, co-owner of
Sean's Astronomy Shop in Battle Ground. And meteor sightings such as a
reported fireball over Yakima and another object streaking across three
Southwest states, both witnessed on Oct. 1, continue to launch a spate
of meteorite-hunting expeditions among earthlings.

Not all collectors take to the field, however. The advent of the
Internet has greatly boosted the number of people marketing celestial
chunks on eBay and other online sites, according to Edwin Thompson, a
Lake Oswego, Ore., collector who makes his living selling meteorites.

"In 1988, there were maybe six full-time meteorite dealers on the
planet," Thompson said, adding that now there are probably 300 people
who call themselves dealers.

"A lot of my customers -- (United Parcel Service) drivers, nurses,
attorneys, one guy who's a rock concert promoter -- now they have
full-blown Web sites," Thompson said.

It's not hard to understand why space rocks are generating such
universal attraction. Much like Superman, meteorites are strange
visitors from another planet with powers far beyond those of mortal men.
Most don't bend steel or change the course of mighty rivers (although a
very large one could do some significant damage). Their power lies
instead in the ability to capture the human imagination.

"Here's a rock that fell to earth in a fiery ball of flames the
temperature of the sun, at a cosmic velocity of roughly 70,000 miles per
hour," Thompson said. "It's been drifting in a cold vacuum of outer
space for literally billions of years ... and it is an amazing snapshot
of living history."

Gerhards echoes many meteorite admirers when he describes the thrill of
grasping a piece of another world.

"It's interesting to hold it in your hand, even if you can't go there,"
he said. For those who agree, the next question becomes: How do I get my
hands on an interplanetary traveler of my very own?

Following are some tips for seekers scouring the ground, as well as for
collectors buying from dealers.

What am I looking for?

Most meteorites are heavier than rocks found on Earth, although some
contain no metal at all, according to the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory
at Portland State University. Most, but not all, are attracted to a
magnet. And most are irregularly shaped, not round. Look for a thin
black or brown layer, called a fusion coating, that may be rusted or
partially worn from the object's surface. Thompson said any library will
stock books that help identify meteorites. In addition, although the
Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory is not open to the public, information can
be found its Web site, www.meteorites.pdx.edu.

Searching the Earth

Sadly, it's not easy to stumble across space rocks landing in the
Pacific Northwest. Fewer than a dozen meteorite findings have been
reported in Washington and Oregon, according to The Catalogue of
Meteorites, published by the National History Museum in London.

"Theoretically, it's possible to go out in the yard and find one -- but
it's not likely you'll know it," Gerhards said.

Seeberg and Thompson say part of the problem in this area is the
prevalence of dark basalt rocks, which resemble meteorites. Savvy
collectors label these and other imposters as "meteorwrongs."

"People will get excited and think they have a meteorite -- I know I
have -- but the fact is that less than 1 in 100 specimens will turn out
to be actual," Seeberg said.

Another drawback is the abundance of vegetation that cloaks potential
finds.

"Meteorites don't grow legs, but they have an uncanny ability to hide,"
Thompson said. "And because it's overcast here most of the year, there
are a lot of fireballs that are just never seen."

Better sites for meteorite safaris are deserts and open spaces in which
wind erosion has left little topsoil, Thompson said. In the United
States, best bets are sections of Kansas, Texas, Arizona and the Mojave
Desert, which is primarily in California but seeps into three other
states. The more adventurous can explore the African deserts.

Some homework is required beforehand. Thompson said U.S. law awards
custody of a meteorite not to the finder, but to the owner of the land
on which it is found. On some public lands, people are allowed to search
for and keep specimens, although the government may claim a piece for
research.

Seeberg experienced a stroke of luck while visiting the privately owned
Meteor Crater near Winslow, Ariz., in 1973. He spotted a thin, metallic
rock about the size of a quarter on the ground outside the visitor
center and presented it to a staff curator, who verified the object was
a meteorite. He also told Seeberg that policy dictated the object must
remain on the property.

"I asked if I could leave our name and address and should that rule
change, I would buy it," Seeberg recalled. "Perhaps he sensed my
disappointment, and a moment later, he put it in my pocket."

Seeberg estimates thousands of people, many from Clark County, have now
seen the same meteorite. He put it in a tiny display case and mounted it
on the telescope he takes to Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers star parties.

Finders' fees

People who can't go to the meteorites can bring the meteorites to them
via dealers and the Net. Here, the law of supply and demand rules.

Thompson, who regularly travels the world to replenish his supplies,
said new collectors might start with common specimens in the $20 to $50
range. As people acquire a taste for the more exotic, prices rise
correspondingly -- and the heights they reach can be astronomical.

Meteorites from Mars, for example, may start at $300 to $500 per gram
and have sold as high as $25,000 per gram. (Thompson puts weights into
perspective by comparing a gram to half a bouillon cube; a small marble
weighs about 5 grams.)

Still, Thompson said there's room in the world of meteorites for
hobbyists with limited budgets. "You won't get any of the Gucci stones,
and not anything large. But for, say, $1,000, a neophyte can have a
pretty nice representative collection."

As for ensuring that your purchase isn't a rock coated with shoe polish,
self-education is the best defense. Thompson said the honor system
reigns in the meteorite marketplace, so anyone uncomfortable with the
concept needs to turn to other collectibles.

"A discriminating, science-minded person will know what they're looking
at before they get into the heavy dollars," Thompson said. "When you get
to the point of buying from a trusted dealer, you're going to know what
you're buying, and whether you want it."

In addition to checking with dealers, Seeberg advises checking estate
sales, flea markets and garage sales. People who inherit others' rock
collections may not realize a cache includes an otherworldly object.

Going to ground

Of course, the very best way to recognize a meteorite is if it falls
from the sky in front of you. And don't worry -- it won't be too hot to
handle.

Gerhards said all meteorites are ice-cold by the time they hit the
ground. He did admit, however, that other items have been known to
descend from high altitudes, including waste from airplane lavatories.

So, before you pick it up, "give it a sniff, first," Gerhards said.

Did you know?

* Six meteorites are documented as having fallen in Washington, and four
in Oregon. One landed July 2, 1939, near Washougal.

* A near-continuous period of meteor-shower activity that started in
October will last through mid-December, according to Jim Todd,
planetarium manager at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in
Portland. The Leonids of mid-November, likely to peak Friday through
Nov. 19, are unpredictable but could provide some great viewing
opportunities. The Geminids of mid-December (lasting 23 days and peaking
Dec. 13 and 14) are expected to supply the strongest "dependable and
observable" display, Todd said. Find out more at
www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html.

It came from outer space ...

So, you think you've found a meteorite. Here are some suggestions from
area fanciers on what to do, and what not to do, with your discovery.

Take a picture. Just like a crime scene, the site of a meteorite finding
can hold a lot of evidence for an expert.

Don't whack it with a hammer. The more intact a meteorite is, the more
value it has.

Handle it with care. Few of us walk around with rubber gloves in our
back pockets, but it's a good idea to use them once you get the object
home.

Store it in a dry place. Avoid stashing the stone in the laundry room,
bathroom or sauna.

Consult a manual. One piece of recommended reading is "Rocks From Space"
(Mountain Press Publishing Co., $32), by O. Richard Norton.

Call a local meteorite dealer. Edwin Thompson of Lake Oswego is
available at 503-701-3657.

Send a digital image of your find to curator Melinda Hutson at the
Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory at Portland State University, at
mhutson_at_pdx.edu. To request an appointment to have an item examined,
call 503-725-3372 or 503-287-6733.

 

Meteorite collections

Here are some places in the Vancouver-Portland area where you can go to
see meteorites. Collections range from the plentiful to a handful. Call
ahead to check hours and types of meteorites on view.

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, 26385 NW Groveland Dr.,
Hillsboro, Ore. Call 503-647-2418 or visit www.ricenwmuseum.org.

Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 S.E. Water Ave., Portland.
Call 800-955-6674 or visit www.omsi.edu.

Sean's Astronomy Shop, 24209 N.E. 92nd Ave., Battle Ground. Call
360-666-6882 or visit www.seansastronomyshop.com.
Received on Sun 12 Nov 2006 11:50:15 PM PST