[meteorite-list] Lovina: most likely not a meteorite

[Darryl Pitt]

Hi, 

Thanks for the kind words, Count, but in truth they are undeserved; Lovina was determined to be a meteorite at the time of my acquisition, and I merely facilitated further analysis once a question was raised.  Had Lovina not been included in the Meteoritical Bulletin, I can't say I would have acquired it.   

Let's also put this context, please recall Lovina's elemental signature---the elements and the proper elemental ratios---points to extraterrestrial origin. One esteemed researcher likened the odds of a terrestrial object matching a meteorite's highly specific signature as closely as Lovina's does to be akin of winning a very large lotto prize---which is to say "extremely unlikely."  (Lovina may be the closest thing to a meteorite on Earth.)

As it regards the comment concerning the ziggurat structures:  yes, it's the presence of tetrataenite, a high nickel content and the object being in solution for hundreds of years---if not more---which is responsible for these unique structures. 

As it regards the comment regarding the roller coaster:  I assure you I can relate....and in an effort to preserve what little is left of my sanity, I need to hop off.     ;-)


All the best / Darryl





On May 24, 2011, at 10:52 PM, Count Deiro wrote:

> I know how disappointed you must be, Darryl. You spent a great deal of blood and treasure directing and paying for the the analysis of this still extraordinary apecimen. The professionalism and honesty of your efforts to find the truth of Lovinia is apparent to all. The piece sure did capture the imagination. I was hoping for a different outcome, so I could have a piece.
> 
> Best personal regards,
> 
> Guido
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Darryl Pitt <darryl at dof3.com>
>> Sent: May 24, 2011 6:22 PM
>> To: Meteorite-list List <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>> Cc: Baiyu <baiyu4u at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [meteorite-list] Lovina: most likely not a meteorite
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Greetings:
>> 
>> I just received a preliminary abstract on Lovina from Kuni Nishiizumi of UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory.  Kuni, the abstract's lead author, concluded it is unlikely Lovina is a meteorite. The markers analyzed were beryllium and chlorine concentrations and the paucity of cosmogenic radionuclides (only Gibeon and Nantan show less). One more round of tests will occur and further conclusions will be drawn from the same. The abstract entitled "Lovina: is this a Meteorite?" will appear in the MAPS volume associated with the 74th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting this coming August.
>> 
>> It has been suggested by some diehards that the bubbling evident in the Lovina mass could have been the result of smelting, and that the lack of cosmogenic radiation could be explained by Lovina having been near the center of a much larger mass---as we know Lovina originated from at least a somewhat larger mass for the ziggurat structures to have formed.  However, in the spirit of embracing the most likely of explanations, it seems compelling to conclude that the most likely explanation for an expanding host of anomalies is Lovina's terrestrial origin. 
>> 
>> Accordingly, I've decided to no longer offer Lovina as a meteorite and have asked my webmaster to take down references to the same on Macovich.com at her earliest possible convenience. 
>> 
>> 
>> All best / Darryl
>> 
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