[meteorite-list] streak test

From: joseph_town_at_att.net <joseph_town_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:17:40 2004
Message-ID: <120720032152.5496.4e1b_at_att.net>

Hi all,

If the average person, thinking they might have found a meteorite, performs a
streak test with a dirty rock (prospective meteorite) isn't there going to be
a streak from the native crud left on the tile even if it is a meteorite?
Don't weathered irons leave a streak from all the oxide? I've streak tested
my specimens and the results are as they should be other than one really
funky nwa that leaves the sightest hint of color. I really hate to think that
someone might find the real thing and discard it because some dirt caused a
streak. Until I learned a few basics that suggest how to clean a meteorite, I
probably would have just washed one in the dreaded chlorinated tap water. I
wash in MEK. I do this to eliminate all the tar coated limestone rocks, Park
Forest you know has a lot. Some of them are magnetic and can really throw you
and now as new parking areas are re-coated there are pks that really have
been contaminated with tar!

Bill Kieskowski
Received on Sun 07 Dec 2003 04:52:19 PM PST