[meteorite-list] Cu Meteorite

[Ralph A. Croning]

Hi All,

Besides the metal content of a meteorite we also have to consider the 
optical emission of ionized gases around a meteor/bolide as a source of its 
colour. Oxygen molecules will glow blue/green when excited (ionized) and 
nitrogen, red. The oxygen is stated as blue/green because of people's 
colour perception. To some it will apprear blue and to others, green. Hope 
this helps.

Cheers,

Ralph A. Croning
IMCA#4326





>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:09:41 -0700
>From: "Mark Bowling" <minador at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re Cu meteorite
>To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>Message-ID: <0f3701c8e4af$0abce360$2036aa20$@com>
>Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"
>
>I've seen a few green fireballs/bolides over the years.  The flame test of
>copper is green so I've always wondered about this subject myself.  Geologic
>processes have produced relatively huge masses of copper in the earth, and I
>don't see why that cannot occur elsewhere in the solar system.  But I'm just
>a biased copper miner... ;-)  Something like that would be quite rare, but
>possible I think.
>
>Clear skies!
>
>--
>Mark B.
>Vail, AZ
>IMCA #6645  o(:-)