[meteorite-list] Meteorite Postcards

From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:10:34 -0700
Message-ID: <93aaac890909131710y1f3aed03y798a49463754476a_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hola,
Well, I'd have to disagree. I wouldn't tell people to look for flecks
of metal - small rounded bumps, maybe, but...it's very unusual to see
metal on the broken surface of a chondrite.
My only criticism would be that there is a small chance that the stone
was carbonaceous or achondritic (including irons, pallasites).
Admittedly, the odds would be very against that, but if someone does
find an iron, given your postcard, they might think nothing of it -
same goes for any C-type chondrite, really, given the fact that you
say the interior of a meteorite would be cement-coloured.
Adding comments like 'Fell from space' don't really add anything.
Yeah, if the person saw it 'fall from space,' it's probably a
meteorite. Amusing, but there's more useful information you could
include in that space. My problem with making fliers for the West
fall, as well as others, was that there is just too much potentially
useful information to squeeze onto an 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper.
You've done a good job as-is, assuming the fall was a relatively
unshocked ordinary chondrite...
Regards,
Jason

On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Phil Whitmer <prairiecactus at rtcol.com> wrote:
> Hey Mike,
>
> I think the postcards are a great idea! ?You're taking a very good approach
> to this hunt. I for one say if there are meteorites to be found in this
> area, you'll find 'em! ?The only thing I would add to the description would
> be to look for tiny metal flecks and small circular rounded bumps
> (chondrules). ?I know it's probably too late for major changes, but you
> might want to add a bit of biographical information, about your historic
> photo and how you're now on an epic quest to recover the fall. Adds some
> human interest to the story, might make people want to get more involved.
>
> I know you're downplaying the economic side of it, you obviously aren't
> doing this as a money making venture. ?It's a touchy subject, but moolah is
> a big motivator, look at all the stones it brought out of NWA. ?I guess you
> said they're valuable, that should be enough. ?I'm just guessing but this
> seems to be a smaller fall than West. ?Otherwise a stone or two would have
> been found by now you'd think. West initially went for over 140 a gram, then
> leveled off at 70. ?That kind of incentive would have me walking corn fields
> from sunup to sundown. (Nothing compared to the thrill of the hunt, though.)
> Offering a reward is sort of vulgar, but it might get results. I know this
> is a controversial matter and I'm not a dealer or a hunter (been on two
> hunts, an extensive one for the Plymouth Meteorite and ?not so extensive one
> for the Rochester Meteorite), so I can't say one way or another.
>
> OK, ?Bird-in-hand, ?Intercourse, Bareville, it sounds like a bunch of
> sophomores made up those names!
>
> Now, if you just spoke High German!,
>
> Phil Whitmer
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 13 Sep 2009 08:10:34 PM PDT