[meteorite-list] Photos of a meteorite?

From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 07:53:36 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <177071.59652.qm_at_web33113.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Doug, it is a nice shape, but you have to know! I see
no problem cutting a small end off, and etching it,
then it would be so much nicer, with a beautiful
pattern on one end, and the question would be solved.
If you cut a tiny groove, you are making an ugly mark,
that while it might sort of confirm that it is a
meteorite, it is like drilling a core sample, it does
damages, makes it ugly, and can not me undone. A small
endcut however, is normal, shows the etch which would
allow classification, and gives you full proof that it
is a meteorite. The specimen is nice, but not the best
shape, so it is not like you are destroying a perfec
oriented button shaped meteorite covered in flow
lines.
Michael Farmer

By the way, for one this small, have it cut on a wire
saw, not in a metal shop!
--- mexicodoug <mexicodoug at aol.com> wrote:

> Mike wrote:
>
>
> "Only one way to know, cut it, etch it, do a ni
> test. Otherwise it could be
> anything."
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> By posting, I just hoped to get some opinions on the
> shape, which I am
> purposely not commenting on as it relates to
> meteorites in order to get some
> feedback. Like someone's mother said, why should I
> be the nurse, when I can
> be the doctor for this meteorite? Or was it, why be
> the nurse when you can
> be the doctor :-)
> Had my Mom told me that, by now, I probably would be
> the right doctor to ask
> what to do now!
>
> You are right about determining authenticity, of
> course. The problem is
> that we are dealing with a quite small sample and
> the circumstances are not
> bad. If I had, say, over 200 grams of an ugly
> shape, then I would
> definitely take your advice. But here there is a
> minor but exciting chance
> that it might somehow pan out. I am not sure how
> much service I would be to
> the specimen if I learn it is a meteorite, but in
> the process destroy a
> major portion of it and screw up its very
> distinguishable shape.
>
> What I am thinking of doing is filing it enough to
> do a Nickel test, which I
> can do just fine if I want. What I don't like about
> that is, from my past
> experience, I have to file a relative deep grove to
> get a reasonably
> trustworthy result, and that will disfigure this
> small piece (for the tiny
> chance it really is a meteorite and bla bla bla).
>
> How many classified irons are there out there
> anyway, of under 100 grams
> TKW? Of what use besides personal gratification of
> knowing will my
> whatever-it-is-object be? If it really were unique,
> could something this
> small be useful to science in some reasonable way
> and how should I handle
> this if that were a major concern? Even if it were
> a meteorite, it is
> unlikely it would have enough commercial value to
> worry about that.
>
> I'm going to be very interested to see what I end up
> doing, not because of
> high hopes, but rather, to know what I should do
> with such a small candidate
> iron in general. For the moment, the only thing is
> see is that a negative
> test result might save me a very long trip back,
> prepared with a metal
> detector and more respectable meteorite hunter's
> toolkit. If I can find
> more, having samples for testing will be no problem,
> and I will have marred
> this piece for nothing.
>
> At the moment, I am thinking of doing something like
> David's sphere
> collection: Just dump the whole thing in acid for
> etching, gently clean it
> to look for any markings first, and then polish and
> let it etch. But, that
> would screw up some potential science....so I hope
> to get some opinions on
> shape, after all, Nininger wrote a whole volume on
> it.
>
> Best wishes, Thanks for the comments.
> Having and eating my cake with hot chocolate right
> now,
> Doug
>
> >
> >> http://www.diogenite.com/maybe.html
> >>
> >>
> >> Dear Listees,
> >>
> >> I quickly just wrote up the circumstances of a
> new
> >> UFO (Unidentified Found
> >> Object), and hope the great list can give me some
> >> meteorite-relevant
> >> comments relating to the form and texture of this
> >> iron object. It seemed to
> >> be the only metallic object for a distance
> around,
> >> though small, it stood
> >> out remarkably and in plain sight...
> >>
> >> Story and pictures below at the link.
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance for a little list magic and
> >> meteoritic indulgence,
> >> Doug
> >>
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Received on Tue 04 Dec 2007 10:53:36 AM PST