[meteorite-list] More Meteorite Geography Trivia

[Michael Gilmer]

Some more meteorite-geography trivia :

1) Jamaica has one known meteorite, Lucky Hill, an iron IIIAB. What are the chances of a meteorite landing on a relatively-small island in the middle of a sea? This meteorite could have easily ended up on the bottom of the Caribbean, but instead it gets to spend it's days in a tropical beach paradise. (I hope it's stored with some dessicant!)

2) Iran has only 2 known meteorites - both of them witnessed falls! Naragh is an H6 hammer stone that penetrated the roof of a school on August 18, 1974. No casualties were reported. The other fall is Veramin, a mesosiderite, which fell around April 18, 1880. Veramin has been kept in Tehran's Golestan Palace since then.

3) Ireland has 6 recorded meteorites - all of them witnessed falls. (The Tanzanians have competition!) All of Ireland's meteorites have been OC's and one remains unclassified - Pettiswood.

4) Not to be left out, Northern Ireland (statisically seperatre from Ireland proper) has 2 known meteorites, both OC witnessed falls.

5) The United States has over 1519 approved meteorites!

This US tally includes :

2 acapulcoites
5 aubrites
22 carbonaceous chondrites
2 diogenites
4 EL chondrites
11 eucrites
more OC's than you can shake a magnetic cane at
4 howardites
a boatload of irons
2 Martian meteorites (LA001/002 & Lafayette)
8 mesosiderites
18 pallasites
1 rumuruti chondrite
2 ureilites
2 winonaites 

:)

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Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale
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