[meteorite-list] Nakhla Weighs In...Life on Mars...Costa Rica?

[MARSROX at aol.com]

Ron Baalke continues to provide us valuable information published  everywhere 
in the world about meteorites. An article he just cited titled, "Mars  
Meteorite Similar to Bacteria-etched Earth Rocks" caught my attention.  

Writer Mark Floyd heralds another clue in the ongoing search for  
extra-terrestrial signs of life in Mars meteorites. 

However, one  statement might lead some to confusion.

"Scientists have dated the  igneous rock fragment from Nakhla - which weighed 
about twenty pounds - at 1.3  billion years in age."

I'm not clear if Mark meant that the  particular piece of Nakhla used in the 
study weighed twenty pounds or all of  Nakhla weighed twenty pounds. The photo 
used to show the bacteria tunnels is  presumably from a thin section (here 
called a"thin slice").

For the  record, the largest recovered fragment of this fall of 1911 in Egypt 
is specimen  #12834 weighing 1,813.2 grams (from "Guide to the Collection of 
the Geological  Museum/Cairo" 1955). 

Perhaps he meant that the total known weight (TKW)  of Nakhla is 9.9 kgs. 
(about 20 pounds).

One sample of Nakhla available  for research is from British Museum specimen 
labeled #1913.25 which Monica Grady  donated for research. Weighing 640.8 
grams, this totally crusted specimen was  cut in half under sterile conditions (I 
believe they used NASA's lunar lab in  Houston for the surgery), with about 
300 grams going back to London, the rest  for distribution to researchers.

Results from prior findings of suspect  Nakhla and Mars bacteria can be seen 
here:

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/289214.stm_ 
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/289214.stm) 

I've  been busy on other projects the last three years and have (reluctantly) 
 neglected my meteorite duties like attending the Tucson Show and 
contributing to  this list. 
 
I'm in the USA until April 11, but I soon hope to have an exciting  
meteorite-related vacation possibility available for a few lucky  m-listees....... at 
my home in Costa Rica.

Un abrazzo,

Kevin  Kichinka