[meteorite-list] Non magnetic meteorites

[James Balister]

What I am trying to say is that you can not be sure if a rock is or is not a meteorite simply because a magnet will not stick to it!  Not to forget that a rare earth magnet has a stronger pull then a simple magnet.  I am not talking about having it checked out as to content.  I am talking about finding one with a magnet.  I use a metal detecter, and sight when hunting.  Then cut them open to look for nickel.  But the magnet test now seems up in the air as far as a quick ID.   I wonder how many rocks I just passed over simply because the magnet did not stick!



----- Original Message ----
> From: Ken Newton <magellon.ken at gmail.com>
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Fri, February 19, 2010 8:55:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Non magnetic meteorites
> 
> >Perhaps many meteorwrongs actually were meteorites!

I seem to 
> encounter misguided individuals who tenuously believe such
dribble on regular 
> basis. Russell T Wing is the exemplar of
meteorwrong 'wingnuts' just as 
> Harvey Nininger is to meteorite
enthusiasts. Here is an example from Wing's 
> book:"This entire
experience seemed incredible and unbelievable. How could a 
> small
collection of stones - not over 100 - and over half of them picked 
> up
out of my rock garden in 1969, produce 25 earth-type quartz 
> meteorites
when never before had a quartz meteorite been known!  ... But 
> in this
investigation, the unthinkable thing seems to be the common thing. 
> And
again, after thinking things over, my unbelievable collection 
> of
quartz meteorites needed to balance it off; they simply could not 
> be
alone. There must also be many other kinds of meteorites here if 
> my
quartz ones were authentic."

And Wing goes on to 'discover' 
> 'authentic' meteoritic petrified wood
and meteoritic fossils, etc. The 
> wingstars were everywhere! All you
have to do is look!  
> Yikes!

Can anyone explain this dogged type thinking? That the owner's 
> rock
HAS TO BE a meteorite despite the fact that every expert contacted 
> has
told them differently. I just don't understand the thinking but I 
> want
to.

kn

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 10:12 PM, James Balister 
> <> href="mailto:balisterjames at att.net">balisterjames at att.net> wrote:
> 
> On the meteorite men Jeff and Steve showed a meteorite that was non magnetic and 
> seemed to have no iron at all.  Anyone know if it had nickel in it?  How did 
> they determin it was a meteorite?  Has anyone ever heard of wingstars?  Could 
> that stone be a wingstar?  Wingstars have always interested me because they are 
> oriented and look just like a meteorite but lack ni/fe.  Perhaps many 
> meteorwrongs actually were meteorites!
> 
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