[meteorite-list] Photo of a K-chondrite / Could this be one of the rarest meteorites found?

From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:29 -0800
Message-ID: <93aaac890911171934l4f7ed4d1iad78e2070d184360_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hola Eric, All,
You're only talking about collector availability, which is a kind of
skewed way of looking at things, in my opinion.
I'm talking about rarity in the sense of how much of a given material
is known, "material" being the term for meteoric matter of a given
structure and chemical composition that we can distinguish as
different from other meteoric matter of differing structures and
compositions.
I hesitate to use the word "type" above because, as has been noted,
the types that we have assigned meteorites are in many cases far too
inclusive or exclusive as to be a truly accurate judge of such
associations. There are over two hundred Eucrites, and yet Ibitira is
unique. And a Eucrite.
It's a bit of an issue.
In other words, my "rare" applies to how much of 'something' we know
exists, whereas your "rare" applies to how much is available to
collectors.

In my opinion, my usage of the word is more valid; according to your
definition, my NWA xxxx L6 of which I hold the entire mass (and will
never sell any) is indeed the "rarest" meteorite on the planet, along
with countless other common stones. It is also significantly more
"rare" than Kakangari, which is distributed amongst museums worldwide,
and which is owned by numerous collectors. My L6 is also more "rare"
than the "rare" meteorites you mention - both Willamette and Old
Woman; if I wanted to, I could procure a specimen of each of those
meteorites, whereas no one other than myself will ever own even a
milligram of my NWA xxxx L6.

When I use the word "rare," it actually means that something is
uncommon or exists in limited quantity, as opposed to its being simply
inaccessible to a group of people, whomever that group may be.
It's just less subjective.

Regards,
Jason

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 7:17 PM, Meteorites USA <eric at meteoritesusa.com> wrote:
> Jason, list,
>
> Maybe I don't quite understand... ;) The size of an individual meteorite
> whether ungrouped or even a previously unknown type or new classification
> would not be the deciding factor in determining rarity at all would it?
>
> If of course you consider the major factor concerning rarity to be the
> number of stones or TKW, and you don't slice or break up the specimen, then
> a 1 ton stone could of course be the rarest type in existence if it were in
> fact of some previously unknown or ungrouped type right? The same could be
> said if no one had access to that 1 ton specimen.
>
> Technically speaking distribution and access to material is also a
> determining factor of the rarity of a meteorite. The term "rarest meteorite"
> does not quite depend on type or class alone.
>
> So yes I would agree that you're right, if type were the only factor
> involved, then your 1-2g specimen of an ungrouped type it would be the
> rarest meteorite.
>
> But consider the Willamette meteorite, or the Old Woman meteorite. They are
> both irons, and of a common class, but the distribution of that particular
> material in private and university collections makes it rare doesn't it?
>
> Obviously I'm splitting hairs... Maybe it's more about the meaning of the
> phrase "the rarest meteorite" than the actual rarity of the meteorite type
> class.
>
> Regards,
> Eric Wichman
> Meteorites USA
>
>
>
>
>
> Jason Utas wrote:
>>
>> Hello Sonny, All,
>> I've often thought about such a term - "the rarest meteorite."
>> The rarest meteorite would of course be smallest ungrouped meteorite,
>> for one could feasibly conceive of a 1-2g unique meteorite. ?When a
>> new type is named, however, a hype generally surrounds it - rather
>> like the olivine diogenite craze of a few years ago, or the confusion
>> surrounding Bencubbinites, and other poorly defined types of
>> meteorites.
>> The simple fact of the matter is that there meteorites are too often
>> categorized by our current system into associations and groups into
>> which they fit rather poorly; Jeff Grossman states as much in the last
>> thread surrounding the poor chemical and isotopic relationships
>> between many basaltic meteorites deemed "eucrites."
>> But regardless of this fact, a simple truth remains. ?There are
>> countless ungrouped meteorites and several Kakangari-type meteorites,
>> so while they may be one of the least common "types," they are by no
>> means examples of the "rarest" meteorite known.
>> Regards,
>> Jason
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 6:12 PM, ?<wahlperry at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Hi Bernd and list,
>>>
>>> ?Would this be one of the rarest meteorites ever found? If not, what
>>> meteorite would be?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Sonny
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: bernd.pauli at paulinet.de
>>> To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>>> Sent: Tue, Nov 17, 2009 1:12 pm
>>> Subject: [meteorite-list] Photo of a K-chondrite
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Greg and List,
>>>
>>> Hardly any photos of Kakangaris exist. You'll find one on David
>>> Weir's excellent website: http://www.meteoritestudies.com/
>>>
>>> Click on chondrites and then scroll down to Kakangari!
>>>
>>> Thin section pics of Kakangari can be found here (on pages 202-205):
>>>
>>> D.S. LAURETTA, M. KILLGORE (2005) A Color Atlas of Meteorites in Thin
>>> Section
>>> (Golden Retriever Publications and Southwest Meteorite Press, ISBN
>>> 0-9720472-1-2, 301 pp.).
>>>
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>>
>>> Bernd
>>>
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>>>
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>>
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>
Received on Tue 17 Nov 2009 10:34:29 PM PST