[meteorite-list] Meteorites smell good ...mmm

[Bob King]

Hello all,
A lot of us like to bring meteorites to classes we occasionally visit with 
or teach. I had this opportunity earlier this week and just for fun brought 
a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper and a slice of NWA 869 for the kids to do 
a scratch and sniff. I asked them to grind away a little bit on the 
sandpaper and then take a whiff of meteorite. Most of them compared 
the odor to sulfur or matches. One 6th grader was pretty excited: "It 
smells like matches. I like the smell of matches." I explained that 
sometimes freshly fallen meteorites have a sulfurous smell. 
Though I wasn't positively certain, I'm assuming the odor is from the 
sulfur in troilite?
Anyway, it was fun to do some "hands on" with the asteroid bits.
Happy sniffing!
Bob