[meteorite-list] 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Own A Meteorite!

[Rob Matson]

Hi Eric and List,

Some feedback on your top-10 list of reasons to own a meteorite:

> 3. Meteorites Are Aliens! - They aren't from here, they're from millions
> of miles away and have been floating around out in space for thousands
> of years just waiting to land on our planet, and end up in your hands.

You can safely substitute "millions" for "thousands" of years -- 99% of
meteorites have spent more than a million years as "free flyers" before
encountering the earth.

Similarly:

> 7. Meteorites Are Sometimes Millions Of Years Old! - Some meteorites have
> been around since long before our planet was inhabited by humans.

You can safely say ALL meteorites fit this description.

> 9. We Can Learn About Our Planets Origin From Meteorites. - Life as we
know it
> would not be possible if it weren't for meteorites.

Partly true -- ~different~ life would occupy this planet if it weren't for
the
occasional major impact.

> Did you know that very large asteroids actually have gravity?

Of course, all asteroids have gravity -- indeed, all matter does.  But I get
what
your saying -- some would have "noticeable" gravity if you were standing on
their surface.

> Even more bizarre and fantastic some even have moons, likes the asteroid
> Ida, it has a moon named Dactyl.

I think we will eventually find that a significant fraction of asteroids
(10% or
more?) have their own satellites.  And while people tend to imagine
asteroids
as being monolithic bodies (i.e. solid), I think it's quite likely that most
in the 100-meter to 10-km size range will ultimately prove to be "rubble
piles":
loose conglomerations of highly fractured regolith.

No matter their origin, it's hard to argue that meteorites aren't a
very worthwhile collectable.  Rarer than diamonds, and scientifically
more important.

Best wishes,
Rob