[meteorite-list] Hammer story in LATimes

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 14:36:44 -0800
Message-ID: <A8044CCD89B24B458AE36254DCA2BD0701DFBCA2_at_0005-its-exmp01.us.saic.com>

NATION IN BRIEF / NEW JERSEY
Tiny meteorite crashes into house
>From Times Wire Reports
January 6, 2007

> A mysterious object that crashed through the roof of a home
> and landed in the bathroom was a meteorite, experts said.
> No one was injured.

> For now, scientists are calling the dense metallic object
> "Freehold Township" after the place where it fell. The
> meteorite, about the size of a golf ball, weighs about
> 13 ounces. Geologists determined it was an iron meteorite
> because of its density and magnetic properties.

This is a typical example of the quality of "science" reporting
in the L.A. Times (and/or whatever wire service they used).

#1 They don't explain WHY the object is or was mysterious;
meteorites themselves aren't mysterious. The whole reason
this story is "mysterious" is that the metal object looks
nothing like a *freshly fallen* meteorite, and yet the object
may very well be a meteorite. THAT'S THE STORY!

#2 *Geologists* determined it was an iron meteorite based
SOLELY on density and magnetic properties?! I doubt it.
Geologists are brighter than that. Any lump of iron would
pass such a test. Some additional quality of the object
led them to rule out a manmade object. What was it?

#3 Why do they continue to repeat the comparison with a
golf ball? The object isn't spherical, and it's certainly
larger than a golf ball in at least one dimension.

As I wrote earlier, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the
object turns out to be a meteorite. That's not the story
here. How does a fresh meteorite fall end up looking like
this object? You can argue semantics about whether iron
meteorites have "fusion crusts" or not, but the exterior
MUST be altered by its hypersonic atmospheric encounter,
and none of the pictures I've seen show the hallmarks of
such fresh alteration. So the question is: has any kind
of test been done to confirm this is a fresh fall? If
not, why not?

--Rob
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Received on Sat 06 Jan 2007 05:36:44 PM PST