[meteorite-list] Question: Just How ...?

From: Norm Lehrman <nlehrman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:32:17 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <20070316033217.89414.qmail_at_web81009.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Robert and all,

My story is a little twisted and includes some good
educational insights.

As a field geologist, I saw everyone's curiosity
rocks. I skipped work to go visit meteorite (wannabe)
craters that suddenly appeared in fields.

My first quality meteorwrong was a big hunk of the
infamous Montana elk hunter find, reputedly miles from
 nowhere, packed out on horseback, and ultimately
given to me. It turned out to be cohenite, an iron
carbide, that had actually been reported in meteorites
but not known to occur naturally on earth. For years,
I was pretty sure it was a winner. Bit by bit, my
suspicions grew ( in sync with slowly growing
meteorite knowledge--). Skipping to the conclusion, I
am now sure it is industrial slag.

The next very good meteorwrong came at a gold show. A
gold dredger had found a bunch of metal fragments in
the Clackamas river in Oregon and was selling them by
the piece. He assured me that the main mass had been
given to the Smithsonian. I was teaching at the
community college level at the time, and wanted some
pieces to pass around. I sorted through the pile and
picked out a couple with nice rounded shoulders with
molten spatters down the sides. They still look
really good! And lots of people still remember them
as the first piece of deep space/deep time that they
have ever held in their hands. I'm now sure that they
are also slag.

Don't assume your professor knows meteorites from bat
guano!

Finally, I had gotten going on tektites and hit the
big Tucson show. I knew Eric Olsen from emails, and
got to meet him. I asked him to recommend a good
stony meteorite to help me calibrate my eye, and he
sold me a fine little fully crusted Gao, which I still
have, my first meteorRight! I bought a bunch more
NWAs on that trip, and on the strength of those
calibration tools, I finally found my first for sure,
no doubt about it meteorite.

Thanks for the memories,
Norm
(http://tektitesource.com)

--- Robert Woolard <meteoritefinder at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello List,
>
> There was a lot of interest and positive comments
> on
> the thread concerning whether or not members still
> had
> their first meteorite. I'd like to ask a related
> question that I think might be interesting.
>
> The question is: How did you "find out" that it
> was
> possible to actually BUY a meteorite!?
>
> I will list the most likely ways that come to my
> mind (doubtless there will be others) in no
> particular
> order:
>
> 1.Magazine AD (such as Astronomy or Sky & Telescope)
>
> 2.Magazine ARTICLE about collecting meteorites
>
> 3.Catalog offering meteorites for sale
>
> 4.Internet browsing and accidentally came across
>
> 5.TV program, featuring Haag, Farmer, etc.
>
> 6.Friend was a collector and got you hooked, too
>
> 7.You are a mineral collector, led to meteorites
>
> 9.You are a fossil collector, led to meteorites
>
> 10.Auction listed meteorites up for bid
>
> 11.Other
>
> OK, that's about all the ways I can think of right
> off hand. I hope that the question is of interest.
>
> And by the way, MY answer would be "#5" above, as
> I
> saw a VERY young Robert Haag on the David Letterman
> show WAY back in 1986. I was thrilled to see that
> here
> was a guy who was actually making it possible for me
> to buy my very own meteorite! I called directory
> assistance the very next day, got Robert's telephone
> number, called him, ordered 10 specimens,.... and
> what
> a ride it has been since!!
>
> Best wishes,
> Robert Woolard
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Thu 15 Mar 2007 11:32:17 PM PDT