[meteorite-list] Smallest Complete Meteorite?

From: Jeff Grossman <jgrossman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:13:02 -0400
Message-ID: <001d01cbee3c$f1b48860$d51d9920$_at_gov>

Of course, there is a continuum of meteorite sizes down through
micrometeorites to dust, all of which have been collected on Earth. The
smallest named meteorite found on Earth may be Yamato 8333, at 10 mg. There
are perhaps a dozen more, all Antarctic, below 100 mg.

In Rubin and Grossman (2010), we assert that micrometeorites are meteorites,
and we set the lower size limit for micrometeorites at 10 micrometers. Such
a particle, if chondritic, would weigh a few nanograms. So I would
therefore assert that the smallest collected meteorite weighs ~1 ng.

The word "complete" is the difficult part of this question. I don't know
what it means.

Jeff

> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-
> list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of MEM
> Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 1:22 PM
> To: Michael Gilmer; Ruben Garcia
> Cc: Meteorite List
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Smallest Complete Meteorite?
>
> I believe there was a .3 gram Canadian find on a snow bank. It was only
> noticed
> by virtue of the contrast and if I recall the finder was a
> technician/scientist
> in the astronomy/space program field(???) walking out of his work to go
> home. I
> don't know the name or where-abouts, I only recall reading the story.
> This
> would so far as I know be the smallest find/fall single stone class ever
> documented.
>
> Elton
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
> > To: Ruben Garcia <mrmeteorite at gmail.com>
> > Cc: Meteorite List <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Tue, March 29, 2011 12:58:45 PM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Smallest Complete Meteorite?
> >
> > Hi Ruben and List,
> >
> > That is an awesome little Holbrook. I have a Chergach pea that is
> > only a little bigger than your Holbrook pea.
> >
> > I'm not sure if a spheroid counts as a meteorite, but I have a vial
> > full of CD spheroids and some of them are much smaller than a poppy
> > seed.
> >
> > Best regards and happy huntings,
> >
> > MikeG
> >
> > --
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
> >
> > Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
> > Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
> > News Feed - http://www.galactic-stone.com/rss/126516
> > Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
> > EOM - http://www.encyclopedia-of-
> meteorites.com/collection.aspx?id=1564
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> >
> >
> >
> > On 3/29/11, Ruben Garcia <mrmeteorite at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > After seeing this tiny Holbrook meteorite I found - I started
> > > wondering. What is the smallest complete meteorite?
> > >
> > > Here's mine
> > >
> >http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/meteoritemall/?action=view&curr
> ent=met006.jpg
> >
> > >
> > > This one has got to be in the running...
> > >
> > > This tiny individual plus two more (all about the same size)
> combined
> > > don't even weigh a tenth of a gram on my scale.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Rock On!
> > >
> > > Ruben Garcia
> > >
> > > Website: http://www.mr-meteorite.net
> > > Articles: http://www.meteorite.com/blog/
> > > Videos: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=meteorfright#p/u
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Received on Tue 29 Mar 2011 02:13:02 PM PDT