[meteorite-list] Steve's 150-gram Dragon piece

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:15:55 +0100
Message-ID: <002f01c81a57$c86924f0$177f2a59_at_name86d88d87e2>

Well Doug,

Perhaps it was so..
But I rather follow another interpretation:
http://kuerzer.de/dragonshaper

Best
Martin

-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von
mexicodoug
Gesendet: Montag, 29. Oktober 2007 18:56
An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Steve's 150-gram Dragon piece

Hi, Elton, Steve, Bernd, Darren, Bob, List,

I don't see where Steve claimed that this meteorite had a bulbous nosecone
form that so many stony collectorys envy and hold synonymous with
"orientation".

Come on, this attractive IRON (as sculpted irons go) does have some
interesting morphology - this * is * quite a curiousity ! It is hard to
tell from the photos, but it seems to me that the specimen in fact was
probably a ring shape with some degree of orientation. The center of mass
would appear near the thickest portion of the meteorite, smooth, and with
trailing (though not particularly extended) regmaglypts. What I find
especially interesting out Steve's new meteorite is contemplating the
explanation for its shape. It shares too many characteristics with the
regmaglypted (non-shrapnel) Sikhote-Alin specimens to be dismissed as simply

shrapnel - clearly I think it is not.

One can contemplate, whether it looks like it was a relatively rare, ring
shaped mass that separated in the early fragmentations, and then maintained
some sense re: fatter side, where the inside trailing ring violently waffled

back and forth and was burned or torn off at just the right time (i.e. still

with high enough velocity when hitting the dense part of the atmosphere
needed to give the duality), which left just the rudders.

Certainly not the best example of a bulbous single axis orientation in the
line of flight, more like a boomerang and a backbone by the time it landed.
Boomerang: "A boomerang is an aerodynamically shaped object designed to fly
efficiently through the air when thrown by hand some designs which return to

the thrower and others that don't." [and if it ends up on eBay :-) ]

As to what Steve paid for this (which included a stamp which I've seen for
$20), whoever would toss the first stone, how else is the selection out
there? That special one that really inspired you in form and function? It
looks about the right size to be a natural bottle opener, it's Sikhote, and
Steve hasn't bothered the list lately other than by pumping $500 into the
economy. Nice adquisition. It looks nothing like a fantasy 'zoomorphic'
dragon to me, not even a Seahorse (naturally regmaglypted). Bullet-shaped
orientation is more common than boomerang-shaped as far as I have seen, and
with stones- forget it, and it is interesting that they are both used in
warfare, and for those reasons I would be glad to have it, too.

Hope you hear from the numerous Sikhote fans. Here is another beauty for
the discriminating S.A. (Russia) enthusiast with nicer pictures. Enjoy!
http://207.56.99.163/sa168.htm

Best wishes and good health,
Doug
Received on Mon 29 Oct 2007 02:15:55 PM PDT