[meteorite-list] "How Do You Know It's A Meteorite"?

[Mr EMan]

I agree Chris.  It is when it leaves the common chondrite class that
gets more tricky to do a field examination to identify what should have
lab work.

I follow the philosophy that a field examination should not try to
identify a specimen as a meteorite, so much as try to exclude it.  If I
can't exclude it, only then do I suggest submission to a lab.

So far I have a near perfect 99% exclusion rate...(sigh)  But some of
those came very close!

Elton

--- Chris Peterson <clp at alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:

> >   My answer is very simple - "we don't know until a reputable lab
> says so".
> 
> I think that's a little extreme. There are certainly questionable 
> meteorites that need expert analysis, but most meteorites can be 
> identified as such with essentially 100% certainty by nearly anybody 
> with some experience in meteoritics, by simple physical examination 
> alone.
> 
> Chris