[meteorite-list] A welcome to meteorite collecting tutorial

From: Pete Shugar <pshugar_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 22:39:42 -0600
Message-ID: <003f01c87e7a$f6330db0$b4835d4b_at_laptop>

I amr putting together an email that will introduce two of my Junior High
students to the wonderful and bizzare world of the -TA TAH- meteorite
collectior.
Please read and feel free to offer any sugestions. Please let me know if
I've left out any important info or need to include something.
Any or all of this can be freely used in any way deemed useful by others.



 Some terms to learn.

A meteoriod is the object in space. It can also be an asteroid, or even a
comet.
The streak of light as it enters earth's atmosphere is called a meteor.
The ball of light and smoke as the meteor explodes into many fragments is
called a
bolide.
What actually hits the ground is a meteorite.

The collectors refer to themselves as meteoricists.

The following link will set you up to receive Meteorite list emails. I urge
you to
join this as there is much to be gained and learned from the many experts as
well
as the newbies. Questions are answered (sometimes more answers than you need
at the
time).
Like any group, there are squables, but even in the midst of these, there
are
things to be learned.

http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

If you go to Ebay to buy, look for the Logo of the IMCA. Attached is a
picture
of the logo. You can ask the seller if he is a member. If they are not a
member,
do not buy from them until you gain experience and know just what to look
for so
you don't get taken. Should you ever desire to join this prestigeous group,
I would
consider it a great honor to support your nomination to the group. (I will
have
joined within the month--this will apply by then.)
(Logo will be attached when I send to the students.)

Just what you decide to collect will depend on what your tastes and desires
are.
There are those that collect hammers (a meteorite that has impacted
(usually) a man
made object, sush as a house, car, mail box, basketball court, fence corral,
and a
whole lotta stuff that I can't remember right now.
Some collect spheres made from a meteorite, others collect the coins such as
I
showed you. There are famous falls (a fall is a witnessed fall of the
meteorite)
Weston, Cali. Carancas, Sikhote Alin, Allende and others. You can collect by
State
or by country.

Then there are the Lunars (the Moon) and Martians (Mars) and the asteroids
(4 Vesta). The science is still out, but there may be Mercurian meteorites
in the
near future.

There is a bewildering array of classifications to choose from. You can
collect
micros (very small-up to about 1/2 gram size), slices, complete individuals,
thin
sections--- some you can see thru).
There are NWA's (Northwest Africa) NEA's Northeast Africa
There are the meteorites and then the meteorite related--Bediasites, impact
shatter
cones, mesosiderites and Tektites.

Thanks in advance for any and all help with this.
Pete
Received on Tue 04 Mar 2008 11:39:42 PM PST