[meteorite-list] Franconia Irons / RFSPOD

From: thetoprok at aol.com <thetoprok_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 08 May 2010 22:04:50 -0400
Message-ID: <8CCBD332481B326-1F20-160B6_at_webmail-m059.sysops.aol.com>

Hello List,

Got my computer back a couple hours ago and I'm ready for a friendly
rebuttal ;)

Ok, I snapped a few images and created a photobucket account so I might
plea my case visually.

I'll start by saying Phil, Warren, I like guys like you.. so
full of it and all.. kinda like me ; )

   Seriously, I'm not 100% on my conclusions so take it easy guys.
Though
I'm confident, I can accept the fact that sometimes things are not what
they seem, I hope you can do the same..

Like I said, I thought it was a shoelace eyelet but it is way too
small, there is more to this picture than meets the eye.
There is a picture of a standard shoestring with the object on
photobucket.

This particular object is very thin. For comparisson I've made an image
of the "meteorite" and two more irons from the area to show thickness
comparisson. They are lying on their sides. I looked at some snaps on
my old World War 2 military gas mask canvas case and they are twice the
diameter, and they are oxidizing green like copper and they do not
attract a magnet. These are not the same for sure. I doubt the
meteorite suspect is a snap unless it was used for dolls clothes. It's
not a
grommet for a tarp unless we are talking Lilliputians here I don't
think you are gonna tie much down wit one of these. A shoe
lace will not fit through the hole let alone a rope.
(I also need to
mention that one of the first things I did was check it with a magnet
and it has the same, super strong pull to my neodymium magnet that the
other Franconias have. It is identical.

 I've also included a picture of the object beside another
SaW 005 with a large pit in it. Note the similarity in size and shape
of the pit. I dare say that if this little iron was as thin as the
object in question it would 've blown right through.

There is also a picture of it lying with a bunch of others I've found
over the years to show relative size to the known SaW 005's.

I'd like to comment on the "chondrule" hypothesis for the origin of the
pits. It seems very unlikely to me due to the fact that very similar
pits exist in Sikhote Alin, which we know to be purely an iron without
a chondritic conection. Also, the pits are
"splashes" as if shot with a tiny, high powered rifle, they are not
like any chondrite I've seen that had a chondrule fall out. Those are
completely two different things as far as I can see.

I'd also like to point out that "Flanged Button" is only used in a
descriptive manor, indicating a similar appearance. In no way do I
believe this iron was formed in the same manner as a flanged button
tektite; only that it has a similar appearance, due to the forces that
punched the hole, whatever they may be.

All said, the SaW 005 H-metal meteorites are a very curious group
indeed and I believe there is much more to the story than the usual
strewnfield scenario. Dynamics are at play that are not fully
understood at this time but will hopefully come to light soon. I wish
Jim Smaller was here to put in his two and half cents. Jim by the way
was a fine man that knew a meteorite when he saw one and didn't take no
for an answer when the experts said the Franconia irons were not
meteoritic, he followed through and proved the point. I have to say I
was one of his outspoken defenders. When you see flow lines on an
oriented, impact pitted iron object that is found in the middle of an H
chondrite strewnfield and the chondrites have huge chunks of metal
sticking out of them on occassion, you just know it's right, and as it
turns out, it is.

That's part of why I'm sure about this thing. I've spent days on end in
that field and found dozens of the irons, no two are the same. Plenty
are oriented and many have pits. Sooner or later it's going to happen.
I don't think it is nearly as crazy as some of you think. I believe
that if you had it in your hands with a 10x loupe you would understand
what I'm saying.

http://s934.photobucket.com/albums/ad190/alienrockfarm/

Best Regards and Happy Hunting!
Larry

PS
I'm attempting to arrange SEM now.
Received on Sat 08 May 2010 10:04:50 PM PDT