[meteorite-list] re "How do you know it's a meteorite?"

From: Dave Harris <entropydave_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:02:44 +0100
Message-ID: <007a01c89a63$88e50790$020aa8c0_at_pitstoppc>

I get asked this question often - and I always split it in two - I say "If
you mean ,how do I personally know it's a meteorite?'", then I reply, "
because I purchased it from a specialist dealer/university/museum" or what
ever...
I then rapidly follow it up with "if you mean how do _we_ as humans know it
a space rock...?" then I briefly explain just some of the tests (isotope
ratios, age of material & so on)

That generally satisfies most questioners of all ages it seems - not ideal
but when a neophyte is presented with a small piece of rock the size of a
findgernail, it is often difficult to even make them understand that the
rock they are holding is a fragment of a larger piece - I often get asked
"how do they find them when they're so small" for example when holding a few
milligrams of Martian.

dave
IMCA #0092
Sec.BIMS
www.bimsociety.org
Received on Wed 09 Apr 2008 01:02:44 PM PDT