G'day List,
Thought I would share a story about Mundrabilla. I was
in Adelaide earlier in the year and they actually have a 2500 kg piece of the
second largest mass at the Museum. ( Half the 5 or 6 tonne mass. Can't
remember the exact weight.) It is located right at the front entrance. In
fact I was quite surprised to see it placed so close to the outdoor
elements! I have not seen a good photo of one of the two large masses on the
internet, but 'in-person' it is a truly remarkable specimen. All those times you
have read that phrase "Meteorites NEVER have holes in the surface" is completely
turned upside-down. There is not one flat section of the Mundrabilla
crust.
It is unique in the sense that when Mundrabilla
weathered, the trolite disappeared and left big holes and pockets in the
surface. (I think that's what happened.) Some of these went very deep and curved
their way right down out of sight. Others were easily big enough to fit a hand
in. But in the true response of the general publics awe and respect for such an
amazing piece of natural history - half the holes were full of lollie and
twisties wrappers!!!
Aussies way of probing the Mundrabilla
meteorite,
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Baalke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 7:10 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] NASA Researchers Probe
Mundrabilla Meteorite
>
> NASA News
> National Aeronautics and Space Administration
>
> John F. Kennedy Space Center
> Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
> AC 321-867-2468
>
> For Release: Oct. 11, 2002
>
> KSC Contact: Manny Virata
> (321) 867-2468
>
> KSC Release No. 99 - 02
>
> MEDIA OPPORTUNITY:
> NASA RESEARCHERS PROBE METEORITE
>
> A new NASA study of a one-of-a-kind meteorite found 36 years ago in
> Australia could help provide the science community and industry
> with fundamental knowledge for use in the design of advanced
> materials.
>
> Such materials could be used for future spacecraft, improved jet
> aircraft and in various manufactured goods from cars to household
> materials. In addition, the meteorite - now at Kennedy Space Center
> - could help reveal secrets about the core of our planet and its
> magnetic field.
>
> The 100-pound Mundrabilla meteorite sample, which is on loan to
> Marshall Space Flight Center from the Smithsonian Institution's
> National Museum of Natural History, is being studied by MSFC and
> KSC, primarily through the use of KSC's Computed Tomography Scanner.
>
> Dr. Donald Gillies, discipline scientist for materials science at
> MSFC's Microgravity Science and Applications Department, is the
> Principal Investigator on the study.
>
> "Most meteorites are solid chunks of metal, surrounded by a rocky
> surface. This one is a combination of materials (iron-nickel and
> iron-sulfide) that became solid at different rates in cooling over
> millions of years," Dr. Gillies said. "It offers an amazing
> opportunity for understanding fundamentals of alloy formation."
>
> Pete Engel, an engineering specialist in Wyle Laboratory's
> Nondestructive Testing Laboratory at KSC, has processed the scans
> of the meteorite at KSC.
>
> "The CT Scanner is able to reveal the untouched internal structure
> of the meteorite by detecting differences in the densities of its
> materials," Engel said. "Without a tool like the scanner, it would
> be impossible to study the inside of the meteorite without altering
> it by sawing into it or grinding it up."
>
> The idea behind computed tomography - first used in the medical
> field - is to create a picture of a very thin cross section of an
> object by passing a very thin fan of X-rays or gamma rays through
> it and then repeating the process until every slice of an object is
> imaged in order to create a 3-D image. Dr. Gillies and Engel are
> conducting the meteorite CT work at KSC using gamma rays given off
> by a pencil lead-sized piece of radioactive cobalt as it decays.
>
> "This meteorite, like all meteorites, was formed in a lower gravity
> environment than here on Earth," Dr. Gillies pointed out. "Like
> experiments performed on the Space Shuttle or the International
> Space Station, this research allows us to look at fundamental
> science questions. Unlike our own flight experiments, this one
> represents a billion year solidification experiment in low gravity."
>
> NOTE: Media members who wish to view the meteorite and Computed
> Tomography Scanner and interview Pete Engel should call Manny Virata
> at 867-2468 to schedule a time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday,
> Oct. 16, for a tour of the Nondestructive Testing Laboratory.
>
>
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