[meteorite-list] Chladni - Chladniite - Chladni's Birthday - Chladni's Heirs

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

McCOY T.J. et al. (1994) Chladniite, Na2CaMg7(Po4)6: A new mineral
from the Carlton IIICD iron meteorite (Am. Mineral. 79, 375-380).

McCOY T.J. et al. (1993) Chladniite: A new mineral honoring
the father of METEORITICS (Meteoritics 28-3, 1993, A394):

Na2CaMg7(Po4)6

Chladniite is named for Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756-1827), who is widely
regarded as the "Father of Meteoritics." After his initial training as a lawyer, Chladni
turned his attention to science, particularly problems in acoustics. He was not, however,
able to obtain a permanent position and embarked upon the life of a nomad, traveling
among the great cities of Europe lecturing about acoustics. During these travels, he
eventually gained an interest in meteoritics. It was Chladni's pioneering book of 1794
that, for the first time, presented strong evidence for an extraterrestrial origin of
meteoritic stones and irons. In addition, Chladni argued that meteorites must have been
the building blocks of all planets and argued that a large iron core must exist inside the
Earth. During his extensive travels, Chladni also established a meteorite collection that
can still be seen at Humboldt University in Berlin. It is appropriate that a mineral be
named in his honor as we approach the 200th anniversary of the publication of his monu-
mental work.


Best wishes,

Bernd