[meteorite-list] Photos of a meteorite?

[mexicodoug]

Mike wrote:


"Only one way to know, cut it, etch it, do a ni test.  Otherwise it could be 
anything."

Hi Mike,

By posting, I just hoped to get some opinions on the shape, which I am 
purposely not commenting on as it relates to meteorites in order to get some 
feedback.  Like someone's mother said, why should I be the nurse, when I can 
be the doctor for this meteorite?  Or was it, why be the nurse when you can 
be the doctor :-)
Had my Mom told me that, by now, I probably would be the right doctor to ask 
what to do now!

You are right about determining authenticity, of course.  The problem is 
that we are dealing with a quite small sample and the circumstances are not 
bad.  If I had, say, over 200 grams of an ugly shape, then I would 
definitely take your advice.  But here there is a minor but exciting chance 
that it might somehow pan out.  I am not sure how much service I would be to 
the specimen if I learn it is a meteorite, but in the process destroy a 
major portion of it and screw up its very distinguishable shape.

What I am thinking of doing is filing it enough to do a Nickel test, which I 
can do just fine if I want.  What I don't like about that is, from my past 
experience, I have to file a relative deep grove to get a reasonably 
trustworthy result, and that will disfigure this small piece (for the tiny 
chance it really is a meteorite and bla bla bla).

How many classified irons are there out there anyway, of under 100 grams 
TKW?  Of what use besides personal gratification of knowing will my 
whatever-it-is-object be?  If it really were unique, could something this 
small be useful to science in some reasonable way and how should I handle 
this if that were a major concern?  Even if it were a meteorite, it is 
unlikely it would have enough commercial value to worry about that.

I'm going to be very interested to see what I end up doing, not because of 
high hopes, but rather, to know what I should do with such a small candidate 
iron in general.  For the moment, the only thing is see is that a negative 
test result might save me a very long trip back, prepared with a metal 
detector and more respectable meteorite hunter's toolkit.  If I can find 
more, having samples for testing will be no problem, and I will have marred 
this piece for nothing.

At the moment, I am thinking of doing something like David's sphere 
collection:  Just dump the whole thing in acid for etching, gently clean it 
to look for any markings first, and then polish and let it etch.  But, that 
would screw up some potential science....so I hope to get some opinions on 
shape, after all, Nininger wrote a whole volume on it.

Best wishes, Thanks for the comments.
Having and eating my cake with hot chocolate right now,
Doug

>
>> http://www.diogenite.com/maybe.html
>>
>>
>> Dear Listees,
>>
>> I quickly just wrote up the circumstances of a new
>> UFO (Unidentified Found
>> Object), and hope the great list can give me some
>> meteorite-relevant
>> comments relating to the form and texture of this
>> iron object.  It seemed to
>> be the only metallic object for a distance around,
>> though small, it stood
>> out remarkably and in plain sight...
>>
>> Story and pictures below at the link.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for a little list magic and
>> meteoritic indulgence,
>> Doug
>>
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