Re: [meteorite-list] Kennett Talk and NOVA special on Younger Dryas Impacts Question?
If a c chondrite or comet with considerable amount of carbon exploded over the polar ice sheet , could it create the nano diamonds without leaving behind a crater? as in an ice crater that melted? or was the land bridge in the Bearing Straits really an ice bridge? and was Northwest Africa made into a green paradise while north America was covered in ice? It seems to me the impact would have had a global effect causing winter everywhere for a while, including Africa. What supporting evidence can be found elsewhere? I am not trying to discount the research but believe there will be found other supporting data on a global scale. A time machine would be pretty handy to see what really happened! have a great day! and be thankful you never get hit by a train Steve --- On Wed, 3/25/09, Paul bristo...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Paul bristo...@yahoo.com Subject: [meteorite-list] Kennett Talk and NOVA special on Younger Dryas Impacts To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 8:50 AM E.P. Grondine mentioned the below NOVA Special in his post, “[meteorite-list] NOVA special on Holocene Start Impacts and AD”. PBS Program to Feature Two UMaine Scientists, March 23, 2009 http://www.umaine.edu/news/view_release.php?x=1237809989 Dr. Kennett gave a talk, which included a lot of research that is either being prepared for publication, been submitted for publication, and in press. Dr. Kennett made a very convincing case that something unique, extraordinary, and instantaneous occurred at the beginning of the Younger Dryas about 12,900 B. calender years ago and could be an event that was extraterrestrial in nature. His idea that it involved multiple, simultaneous Tunguska-like events occurring across the North American continent. He also, discussed and showed pictures of the research on the Greenland ice sheet, carried out by Paul Mayewski, and Andrei Kurbatov. Outcropping along the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet is a well defined Younger Dryas bed, which consists of dark grey dusty ice with clean, white Holocene ice above it and clean, white terminal Pleistocene ice below it. They found the nannodiamonds and other alleged impact indicators right at and only at the basal contact of the Younger Dryas ice layer. They found exactly what would be expected for an layer of meteoritic debris from Tunguska- like events. This is a show that you do not want to miss. It is in the realm of possibility, that decade or so from now, Dr. West, Dr. Kennett, and other members the YDB Group will likely be known as the Walter Alvarezes of the Quaternary. I am now getting together with a couple of archaeologists to do some “prospecting” for nannodiamonds and microspherules. Some relevant publications: Haynes, V. C., Jr., 2008, Younger Dryas “black mats” and the Rancholabrean termination in North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. vol. 105 no. 18 6520-6525 http://www.pnas.org/content/105/18/6520.abstract Did a Significant Cool Spell Mark the Demise of Megafauna? http://uanews.org/node/19409 Kennett, J.D., J.P. Kennett, G.J. West, J.M. Erlandson, J.R. Johnson, I.L. Hendy, A. West, B.J. Culleton, T.L. Jones and Thomas W. Stafford Jr., 2008, Quaternary Science Reviews. vol. 27, no. 27-28, pp. 2530-2545. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.006 Kennett, D.J., J. P. Kennett, A. West, C. Mercer, S. S. Que Hee, and L. Bement, 2009, Nanodiamonds in the Younger Dryas Boundary Sediment Layer. Science. vol. 323, no. 5910, p. 94. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/323/5910/94 Best Regards, Paul H __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] One of the best of the 2008 TC3 articles
Hello Larry, I was the one that put dust bunnies in the discussion mix whilst discussion space weathering color changes to meteoroids. I was using it generically and did not limit it to particles which were neutral in charge and gravitationaly emplaced. I was thinking in terms that there are particles that are magnetic/polarized/ionized and are buzzing about the asteroid on or near the surface. I am comfortable that TC3 was not likely a major dust collector. We are in further agreement that the quality of the spectral measurements have yet to be explained/validated publicly. Given chondridic pallesite proclaimations by novice but credentialed researchers in the past I'd like to know that more than a few novice eyes were looking over the researchers work. Someone asked earlier about nanodiamond formation re: Carbonaceous Chondrites. I wanted to point out for listeners that Urelites and some CCs already contain nanodiamonds and impact is not necessary for nanodiamond to be found on the terrain. Elton --- On Wed, 3/25/09, lebof...@lpl.arizona.edu lebof...@lpl.arizona.edu wrote: From: lebof...@lpl.arizona.edu lebof...@lpl.arizona.edu Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] One of the best of the 2008 TC3 articles To: cyna...@charter.net Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 7:24 PM Hi everone: As someone who has studied asteroids, this is great news. Only two comments: 1. I am a little concerned with the classification of the asteroid as F. The spectral range is not perfect and I wonder what the uncertainty of the spectrum is (might be very poor quality at the longer wavelengths). 2. I do not think that 2008 TC 3 was dusty. It was tumbling in space and spinning once ever 50 to 100 seconds. An object this size is not going to have a dusty surface! my two cents Larry __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Fusion Crusted Meteoroids
You beat me to it Darren! ;-) That was going to be my example too. Some meteoroids do enter and exit the atmosphere again (Earth Grazing) so there would be some out there with fusion crust. For anyone that hasn't seen the Grand Teton fireball, it's worth seeing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M8LQ7_hWtE Cheers, Jeff - Original Message - From: Darren Garrison cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 3:57 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Fusion Crusted Meteoroids On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:21:58 -0700, you wrote: How many beautifully black and fully fusion crusted meteoroids and asteroids are floating around out there in space? A fusion crust is formed by the rapid melting and rapid resolidifying of the meteoroid, caused by heat generated by a meteoroid passing through the atmosphere of a planet, decelerating, and having some of it's massive amount of kinetic energy converted to light, sound, and heat, due to conservation of energy. So a meteroid in space with a fusion crust would have had to have grazed deep enough in to the atmosphere of a planet or moon and then skipped back into space. Any attempt (by anyone, no matter how expert) to give an approx. number of times that this has happened on all atmosphere-posessing planets and moons AND the meteoroid wasn't destroyed on a later pass near the planet/moon AND it hasn't happened so long ago that the normal erosion in space has broken up that fusion crust would be a pure guess. This MIGHT be one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Daylight_1972_Fireball I can imagine that a massive nearby gamma ray burst might also be able to melt a thin fusion crust around meteroids in space, but if such an event had happened in the recent geological past, we would have noticed it by the fact of all being dead. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] AD - Alfianello low prices
I sale 2 pieces of Alfianello for low price, its a end piece of 20.4 grams for 800,00 euro and a slice of 19.7 grams for 900,00 with copy of old labels. For who is interested contact me Matteo M come Meteorite Meteoriti i...@mcomemeteorite.it http://www.mcomemeteorite.it http://www.mcomemeteorite.info Mindat Gallery http://www.mindat.org/gallery-5018.html __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Origin of Sirente “crater ” (sag) disputed
An article in journal of Geophysical Research disputes the origin of the what has been called the “Sirente crater”. The paper discussing this theory is: Speranza, F., I. Nicolosi, N. Ricchetti, G. Etiope, P. Rochette, L. Sagnotti, R. De Ritis, and M. Chiappini (2009), The “Sirente crater field,” Italy, revisited. Journal of Geophysical Research. vol. 114, B03103, doi:10.1029/2008JB005759 http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2008JB005759.shtml They concluded: “Our data show that the Sirente crater and the minor depressions are simply the results of human activity and karstic processes, respectively.” An article that discusses this paper is: Bondre, N., 2009, Geomorphology: Crater or not? Nature Geoscience. vol 2, no. 3, p. 166. TOC at http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n3/index.html PDF file at http://www.tulane.edu/~kmstraub/Publications/Abrams_09/News_and_Views_09.pdf Yours, Paul H. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Ad Sale ebay auctions ending tonight and this week... Hassayampa, Cocklebiddy and 2 McKinney and a few others
Hello list members, I hope everyone is having a Great week! I have several nice meteorites listed on ebay and ending tonight through the rest of the week. Hassayampa, Cocklebiddy and 2 McKinney are up for auction. Please have a look. Thanks, Brian Cox IMCA # 6387 searchingforfun =ebay user id Tulia Meteorite (a) H3-4, 42 gms IMCA 1917 Beautiful 1917 Swisher County,Texas TCU Item number: 270361253321 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270361253321 McKinney Meteorite Texas 5 gms TCU IMCA 1870 1870 Collin County,Texas TCU Item number: 280325063502 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=280325063502 McKinney Meteorite Texas 29 gms TCU IMCA 1870 NICE!!! 1870 Collin County,Texas TCU Nice LARGE Specimen Great! Item number: 270363335755 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270363335755 COCKLEBIDDY Meteorite 25.68gm H5 RARE 1949 COA IMCA WESTERN AUSTRALIA HARD TO FIND Chondrite Very Nice Larg Item number: 270363336711 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270363336711 FORESTBURG Meteorite (b) L4, 32.2gm IMCA 1957 Chondrule 1957 Montague County,Texas Very Nice Specimen Metal Item number: 270363349438 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270363349438 HASSAYAMPA Meteorite H4, 44.7 gm IMCA 1963 TCU COA Rare 1963 Maricpoa, County Arizona Very Nice Specimen Metal Item number: 280326150138 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=280326150138 LONG ISLAND Meteorite Kansas 24.19g COA IMCA CRUST L6 1891 Phillips Co. Kansas Stone Chondrite FUSION CRUST Item number: 270363836113 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270363836113 Tulia Meteorite (a) H3-4, 10 gms IMCA 1917 Beautiful 1917 Swisher County,Texas TCU Item number: 280326881281 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=280326881281 MONTURAQUI Meteorite Impactite Chile 9 g COA IMCA 1962 Monturaqui Crater, Atacama Desert, Chile Very Nice IMCA Item number: 270364405750 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=270364405750 MONTURAQUI Meteorite Impactite Chile 11g COA IMCA 1962 Monturaqui Crater, Atacama Desert, Chile Very Nice IMCA Item number: 280326882440 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemssPageName=STRK:MESELX:ITitem=280326882440 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] updates and freebies (AD) (AD)
Hello again list.I know,I know, I email to much about my sale and freebies.I have 5 final freebies to givaway.If you were one of the ones to buy and get a freebie,I will just stick it in your box.Shipping will be $5 priority mail.I have 5 left and you can decided what you want when you chime in.Like george zimmer says,you'll like what you get.I am also doing a 30% off what is left on my sale thru the rest of march.After that it is over for good.There are still alot of nice items. Steve R.Arnold No#1!,Chicago! a rel=nofollow/a __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] updates and freebies (AD) (AD)
With all due respect to George Zimmer, it's: You're gonna like what you get. I Guarantee it. Your post should have read: Hi this is Steve Arnold #2,founder and CEO of chicagometeorites.net.I know I post a lot of ads to the met-list,but hey,I love Red Bull.If anyone has a 300+ gram oriented Gao they would like to trade for a gold coin,please contact me.Offlist only please.FYI I might go to the safety deposit box today and pull a few of my super secret collection pieces out like Edmonton, Canada.I have some freebies so feel free to chime in and the first come first served.Shipping is on you.You're gonna like what you get.I guarantee it! - Original Message - From: steve arnold stevenarnold60...@yahoo.com To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 7:08:31 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [meteorite-list] updates and freebies (AD) (AD) Hello again list.I know,I know, I email to much about my sale and freebies.I have 5 final freebies to givaway.If you were one of the ones to buy and get a freebie,I will just stick it in your box.Shipping will be $5 priority mail.I have 5 left and you can decided what you want when you chime in.Like george zimmer says,you'll like what you get.I am also doing a 30% off what is left on my sale thru the rest of march.After that it is over for good.There are still alot of nice items. Steve R.Arnold No#1!,Chicago! a rel=nofollow/a __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] A lecture on 2008 TC3
While searching for audio of yesterday's teleconference, I found this 5 part lecture video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videossearch_query=Asteroid+2008+TC3search_sort=video_date_uploaded __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature
Are you sure it is a meteorite? It could be a hematite concretion or some other earth mineral. The fact that it is heavier than an ordinary stone but doesn't affect the compass needle sounds like some hematite iron ore. Hematite could develop mica-like structures. Göran gian gallo wrote: Hola Carl. We are not saying it is micait is the arrangement the silvery specks has, that seems to be a mica-like feature. We think that its FC , has weathered away almost completely. It is the only one of the three stones, that can not move our compass needleand we have not sticked yet, a neo magnet to it. Although the three stones are nearly of the same size, this one is the heaviest. In the below picture, the stone is the one at the right side : http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/43907/2096345270100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense -- Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:52:08 -0700 From: cdtuc...@cox.net To: gian...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature I would like to see the inside. Are you going to slice it? It is very difficult to see anything that looks like mica in photo. Does it have a fusion crust? If you do see mica it may not be a meteorite. Carl gian gallo wrote: Hola to all. Today we recieved three freebies from Steve Arnold ( Chicago ). Thanks you some much, Steve.and...in one of them, we have found some strange feature on its surface..silvery specks that shines as if it were a mica stone. This feature is only seen if we have the right angle of light to see it. ¿ Has anyone here seen this before. Any help is welcome. The little stone weights 13.1 grams. Below, four picturesof two diferent areas...that shows this strange feature, in direct and reflected light, pictures taken with a stereo - lupe : First area : http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/42871/2739672990100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42168/2856801200100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Second area : http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/42392/2290974480100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/43667/2053070070100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense _ Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_safety_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list _ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119462413/direct/01/ _ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Asteroid Impact Helps Trace Meteorite Origins (2008 TC3)
Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, D.C. Contact: Douglas Rumble, 202-478-8990 March 25, 2009 Asteroid Impact Helps Trace Meteorite Origins The car-sized asteroid that exploded above the Nubian Desert last October was small compared to the dinosaur-killing, civilization-ending objects that still orbit the sun. But that didn't stop it from having a huge impact among scientists. This was the first instance of an asteroid spotted in space before falling to Earth. Researchers rushed to collect the resulting meteorite debris, and a new paper in Nature reports on this first-ever opportunity to calibrate telescopic observations of a known asteroid with laboratory analyses of its fragments. Any number of meteorites have been observed as fireballs and smoking meteor trails as they come through the atmosphere, says Douglas Rumble of the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, a co-author of the paper. It's been happening for years. But to actually see this object before it gets to the Earth's atmosphere and then to follow it in -- that's the unique thing. The chemical compositions of asteroids can be studied from Earth by analyzing the spectra of sunlight reflected from their surfaces. This provides enough information to divide asteroids into broad categories, but does not yield detailed information on their compositions. On the other hand, meteorites recovered on Earth can be analyzed directly for chemical composition, but researchers generally have no direct information on what type of asteroid they came from. The asteroid, known as 2008 TC3, was first sighted October 6, 2008, by telescopes of the automated Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson Arizona. Numerous observatories followed its trajectory and took spectrographic measurements before it disappeared into the Earth's shadow the following day. A recovery team led by Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute in California and Muawia Shaddad of the University of Khartoum then searched for meteorites along the projected approach path in northern Sudan. They recovered 47 fragments, one of which was selected for preliminary analysis by laboratories, including the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory. This asteroid was made of a particularly fragile material that caused it to explode at a high 37 kilometer altitude, before it was significantly slowed down, so that the few surviving fragments scattered over a large area, explains Jenniskens, the lead author of the Nature paper. The recovered meteorites were unlike anything in our meteorite collections up to that point. Carnegie's Andrew Steele studied the meteorite's carbon content, which showed signs that at some point in its past the meteorite had been subjected to very high temperatures. Without a doubt, of all the meteorites that we've ever studied, the carbon in this one has been cooked to the greatest extent, says Steele. Very cooked, graphite-like carbon is the main constituent of the carbon in this meteorite. Another form of carbon Steele found in the meteorite, nanodiamonds, may give clues as to whether the heating was caused by impacts on the parent asteroid, or by some other process. Oxygen isotopes in the meteorite give other information about its parent body. Each source of meteorites in the solar system, including planets such as Mars, has a distinctive signature of the three isotopes 16O, 17O, and 18O. This signature can be recognized even when other variables, such as chemical composition or rock type, differ. Oxygen isotopes represent the single most decisive measurement in determining the parental or family groupings of meteorites, says Rumble who performed the analysis. According to Rumble's analysis, 2008 TC3 falls into a category of very rare meteorites called ureilites, all of which may have originally come from the same parent body. Where that is, we don't know, says Rumble. But because astronomers took spectral measurements of 2008 TC3 before it hit the Earth, and can compare those measurements with the laboratory analyses, scientists will be better able to recognize ureilite asteroids in space. One known asteroid with a similar spectrum, the 2.6 kilometer-sized asteroid 1998 KU2, has already been identified by researchers as a possible source for 2008 TC3. Rumble's work was funded by NASA Cosmochemistry grant NNX07AI48G. Steele was supported by NASA's Sample Return Laboratory Instruments and Data Analysis Program (SRLIDAP) , NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program , and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). IMAGE CAPTION: [http://www.ciw.edu/sites/www.ciw.edu/files/news/PRRumbleSteeleAsteroid-ImageAMedforWeb.jpg (31KB)] This fragment of Asteroid 2008 TC3 provided scientists with the first-ever opportunity to calibrate telescopic observations of a known asteroid with laboratory analyses. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list
[meteorite-list] Asteroid Monitored from Outer Space to Ground Impact (2008 TC3)
Public Affairs Sandia National Laboratories Media contact: Neal Singer, (505) 845-7078 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2009 We saw it coming: Asteroid monitored from outer space to ground impact Sandians Mark Boslough and Dick Spalding watch it in real time ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Reports by scientists of meteorites striking Earth in the past have resembled police reports of so many muggings -- the offenders came out of nowhere and then disappeared into the crowd, making it difficult to get more than very basic facts. Now an international research team has been able to identify an asteroid in space before it entered Earth's atmosphere, enabling computers to determine its area of origin in the solar system as well as predict the arrival time and location on Earth of its shattered surviving parts. I would say that this work demonstrates, for the first time, the ability of astronomers to discover and predict the impact of a space object, says Sandia National Laboratories researcher Mark Boslough, a member of the research team. Perhaps more importantly, the event tested the ability of society to respond very quickly to a predicted impact, says Boslough. In this case, it was never a threat, so the response was scientific. Had it been deemed a threat -- a larger asteroid that would explode over a populated area -- an alert could have been issued in time that could potentially save lives by evacuating the danger zone or instructing people to take cover. The profusion of information in this case also helps meteoriticists learn the orbits of parent bodies that yield various types of meteorites. Such knowledge could help future space missions explore or even mine the asteroids in Earth-crossing orbits, Boslough says. The four-meter-diameter asteroid, called 2008 TC3, was initially sighted by the automated Catalina Sky Survey telescope at Mount Lemmon, Ariz., on Oct. 6. Numerous observatories, alerted to the invader, then imaged the object. Computations correctly predicted impact would occur 19 hours after discovery in the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan. According to NASA's Near Earth Object program, A spectacular fireball lit up the predawn sky above Northern Sudan on October 7, 2008. A wide variety of analyses were performed while the asteroid was en route and after its surviving pieces were located by meteorite hunters in an intense search. Researchers, listed in the paper describing this work in the March 26 issue of the journal Nature, range from the SETI Institute, the University of Khartoum, Juba University (Sudan), Sandia, Caltech, NASA Johnson Space Center and NASA Ames, to other universities in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, England, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Sandia researcher Dick Spalding interpreted recorded data about the atmospheric fireball, and Boslough estimated the aerodynamic pressure and strength of the asteroid based on the estimated burst altitude of 36 kilometers. Searchers have recovered 47 meteorites so far -- offshoots from the disintegrating asteroid, mostly immolated by its encounter with atmospheric friction -- with a total mass of 3.95 kilograms. The analyzed material showed carbon-rich materials not yet represented in meteorite collections, indicating that fragile materials still unknown may account for some asteroid classes. Such meteorites are less likely to survive due to destruction upon entry and weathering once they land on Earth's surface. Chunks of iron and hard rock last longer and are easier to find than clumps of soft carbonaceous materials, says Boslough. We knew that locating an incoming object while still in space could be done, but it had never actually been demonstrated until now, says Boslough. In this post-rational age where scientific explanations and computer models are often derided as 'only theories,' it is nice to have a demonstration like this. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major RD responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. IMAGE CAPTIONS: [Image 1: http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2009/images/asteroid_boslough.jpg (4.7MB)] Don't look back -- it may be gaining on you: Sandia's Mark Boslough discusses aspects of asteroids (Photo by Randy Montoya) [Image 2: http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2009/images/asteroid_spalding.jpg (1.5MB)] Dick Spalding examines the night sky (Photo by Randy Montoya) __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] MRO HiRISE Images - March 25, 2009
MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES March 25, 2009 o Gullies on Pole-Facing Slope and Arcuate Ridges on Crater Floor http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011995_1410 o The Answer is Blowing in the Wind http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011934_0945 o Starburst Spider http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011842_0980 o Mesa Armored by Impact Ejecta in Ganges Chasma http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011371_1730 o Spider Trough Network http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011348_0950 o Light-Toned Layered Deposits on Southern Mid-Latitude Crater Floor http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011310_1395 o Fresh Crater Chain in Meridiani Planum http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011290_1800 All of the HiRISE images are archived here: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ Information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is online at http://www.nasa.gov/mro. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, of Denver, is the prime contractor and built the spacecraft. HiRISE is operated by the University of Arizona. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., of Boulder, Colo., built the HiRISE instrument. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Mars Water Story Spawns Kudos and Controversy (Phoenix)
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0903/24marswater/ Mars water story spawns kudos and controversy BY CRAIG COVAULT SPACEFLIGHT NOW March 24, 2009 HOUSTON -- Phoenix science team findings that their spacecraft discovered liquid water on the surface of Mars sailed through their first scientific peer review unchallenged at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston this week. But some of the world's top planetary explorers said on background that the Phoenix team arguments are being oversold on the potential for the nature of the water found to significantly boost the chances for current microbe habitability on Mars. This is because the water builds up as thin films on the soil. They also note, however, that microbes can thrive in such conditions. Peter Smith, principal investigator for the mission at the University of Arizona, said that peer review for the landmark findings are only just beginning. We have a long way to go for full acceptance of the discovery, he told Spaceflight Now. Nilton Renno of the University of Michigan, who lead the water analysis, told a standing-room-only hall filled with 500 people that the Phoenix evidence for liquid water is overwhelming. NASA's Mars exploration motto should be updated to follow the 'liquid' water, he told the audience. The report on liquid water was signed by 22 science team members but is not supported by some key team members, like Bill Boynton, who headed work with the spacecraft's TEGA Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer. He does not believe the evidence is complete. Smith, who heads the mission and also signed the water finding document, is also the author of another paper that says Phoenix did not see any liquid water. Reminded that his stance in these two papers places him with a foot in each bucket, one filled with water and the other not, he noted that's a good observation. Renno and his colleagues showed imagery of spheroids apparently splashed onto one landing strut as evidence of the presence of liquid water. They then cited point after point on temperature, pressure, chemistry, and the affect of perchlorate salts as supporting evidence. Another team member's analysis said the same data, combined with seasonal variations and sun angles, indicate that liquid water can exist between the ice and soil layers at the north polar landing site for 100 days out of each Martian year. The movement and merger of the spheroids is what initially caught Reeno's attention, but he has also conducted substantial ground-based testing, including how the light wavelengths reflected from the spheroids change under different sunlight conditions. Those changes seen on Mars match what was found in the lab on Earth. The existence of perchlorate salts that lower the freezing point for water at the site is the key to the water, along with a presence of calcium carbonate, which is unlike anything seen on Mars before. Thermodynamic calculations offer additional evidence that salty liquid water can exist where Phoenix landed and elsewhere on Mars. The calculations also predict a droplet growth rate that is consistent with what was observed. And they show that it is impossible for ice to sublimate from the cold ground just under the strut of the lander's leg and be deposited on a warmer strut, a hypothesis that has been suggested. The lander's wet chemistry lab found evidence of perchlorates, which likely include magnesium and calcium perchlorate hydrates. These compounds have freezing temperatures of about -90 and -105 Fahrenheit, respectively. The temperature at the landing site ranged from approximately -5 to -140 Fahrenheit, with a median temperature around -75 Fahrenheit. Temperatures at the landing site were mostly warmer than this during the first months of the mission. Scientific literature was also cited, predicting that brines would be found on Mars much like they have been found in Antarctica, where they support exotic life forms. The amount of carbonates is what really is telling us we had to have liquid water, says Susanne Young of the science team. Apparent carbonate seams are visible in meteorites that have come Mars and been recovered on Earth. Sawdust from a carbonate layer in the Allen Hills meteorite that in 1996 revealed potential evidence for life is being compared with the Phoenix carbonate measurements directly on Mars. All of this evidence has given the Mars Phoenix lander's north polar site a higher rating for potential habitability for current and past Martian life that is far greater than that found by either the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, Mars Pathfinder, or the twin Viking landers of the 1970s, says Carol Stoker, who headed habitability assessments for the Phoenix mission. The specific message the Phoenix data convey is to search for life, future missions should land at the same location Phoenix did, she said. The entry, descent and landing planners for any future mission like that would relish the knowledge that
Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature
Hola Göran. It was sent to us as a meteorite. Following your advicewe get our neomagnetand put it close to the stone.result : the stone did not stick to itso.your guess point to the right direction. Tonight we will sand a window to see its matrix. Thanks in advance. Hasta la vista, larense Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:54:02 +0100 From: axels...@acc.umu.se To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature Are you sure it is a meteorite? It could be a hematite concretion or some other earth mineral. The fact that it is heavier than an ordinary stone but doesn't affect the compass needle sounds like some hematite iron ore. Hematite could develop mica-like structures. Göran gian gallo wrote: Hola Carl. We are not saying it is micait is the arrangement the silvery specks has, that seems to be a mica-like feature. We think that its FC , has weathered away almost completely. It is the only one of the three stones, that can not move our compass needleand we have not sticked yet, a neo magnet to it. Although the three stones are nearly of the same size, this one is the heaviest. In the below picture, the stone is the one at the right side : http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/43907/2096345270100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense -- Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:52:08 -0700 From: cdtuc...@cox.net To: gian...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature I would like to see the inside. Are you going to slice it? It is very difficult to see anything that looks like mica in photo. Does it have a fusion crust? If you do see mica it may not be a meteorite. Carl gian gallo wrote: Hola to all. Today we recieved three freebies from Steve Arnold ( Chicago ). Thanks you some much, Steve.and...in one of them, we have found some strange feature on its surface..silvery specks that shines as if it were a mica stone. This feature is only seen if we have the right angle of light to see it. ¿ Has anyone here seen this before. Any help is welcome. The little stone weights 13.1 grams. Below, four picturesof two diferent areas...that shows this strange feature, in direct and reflected light, pictures taken with a stereo - lupe : First area : http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/42871/2739672990100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42168/2856801200100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Second area : http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/42392/2290974480100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/43667/2053070070100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense _ Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_safety_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list _ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119462413/direct/01/ _ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list _ Windows Live Hotmail now works up to 70% faster. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_faster_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Odd meteorite.
Anyone have a clue? http://www.meteoritesusa.com/odd-meteorite.htm Photos, links and articles on other meteorites similar to this would be greatly appreciated. Specifically I'm looking for info on SPECIMEN #UNWA001 You can reach me at: 904-236-5394 or contact via email... Thanks! -- Regards, Eric Wichman Meteorites USA http://www.meteoritesusa.com 904-236-5394 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] origin of vesicles in achondrites ?
Dear Ron, List, Interesting story. It is said that Almahata Sitta is a fragile, porous olivine and pyroxene-bearing ureilite. Although said to be generally coarse-grained, ureilites (major olivine, minor pyroxene-pigeonite embedded in a dark carbon-rich matrix) are rarely porous. I believe the propsity of Almahata Sitta is surprising, intriguing? Vesicles (bubbles) were found in angrites and, recently, in one diogenite (see below), perhaps on some other achondrites (I did not check the whole group of achondrites for such oddities). Looking at recent literature reveals that the origin of such bubbles is diverse and can be very controversal. My question concerns the origin of vesicles recently discovered in a selected piece of Dhofar 700. To better provoke some answer, here I am attempting to summarize what is so far known as theories that could explain the presence of such bubbles in achondrites. 1) Angrites. D'orbigny (ANG) is a well known case. Angrites are composed of variable amounts of fassaitic pyroxene and other minor phases. They can be considered as basaltic rock involving cumulate textures. Their pores and vesicles (not so rare in D'Orbigny), often filled with augite or anorthite xenocrysts, often well seen as single, sometimes well isolated needles, are thought to have been formed before the rock had crystallized on the earliest differentiated asteroids (289 Nenetta ?...3819 Robinson ?...3628 Boznemcova ? or other with a smaller diameter, as reported by Weir ?) during the early days of the solar system genesis. The origin of such vesicles is consistent with the formation and coalescence of smaller CO2 bubbles in magma, before it rapidly cooled and solidified near the surface (McCoy, cited in Weir's web site). There are other theories as well, such as the exsolved solid sphere hypothesis (Kurat, cited by Weir). 2) Diogenites. So far, diogenites, composed of Mg-rich pyroxene and minor olivine and plagioclase are currently coarse-grained (as the new ureilite Almahata Sitta) but very rarely involve bubbles or vesicles. They are supposed to come from magma chambers in deep regions of Vesta. In a recent post (ad), Adam Hupé reported that several slices of Dhofar 700 contained vesicles that in some cases attained almost 1 cm in diameter. This was a surprise since no other diogenite was reported to involve such quite regular bubbles. Adam's post reminded me that I was also the lucky owner of such a slice of DHO 700, full of bubbles (almost 30 bubbles - some over 1 cm diameter - can be discerned onto the 38x44 mm surface, some passing completely through the slice (4 mm thick) ! See pic here (click on Dhofar 700): http://www.agab.be/meteorites/historique/Connoisseur.html The text below the pic describes in a somewhat popularized way (in French) possible (perhaps still speculative) origins of such bubbles. One theory argues for a mechanism involving the genesis of gas bubbles due to some complex process on Vesta. Upon rapid cooling, such bubbles could have remained occluded in the cooled magma in a similar way as for Angrites (D'Orbigny). The weak point of that theory is that such a process is quite unlikely to occur in a cumulate rock. Another source (Blaine Reed, personal communication) reported that no extra minerals were found growing on the interior surfaces of the gas bubbles. It appears as if the surrounding minerals have been crushed by some increased pressure rather generated by a liquid, leading to think that it was possibly hot water (!) that formed these bubbles. But how to imagine that hot water, if any, ever could subsist on Vesta ? A very recent article published in New Scientist reported that, unlike the large Ceres, smaller Vesta (530 km diameter) must once have melted almost completely so that oceans of molten rock or magma covered its surface, resulting in a vesicle-forming scenario similar to those describing the vesicular texture of angrites. See details here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7522-magma-oceans-sloshed-across-early-asteroids.html As curious (but not competent) person, I have that simple question: Does someone know more about this weird and completely unexpected presence of such a large amount of bubbles in a diogenite, in particular in (one out of the 12 pieces found) of DHO 700 ? Neither pic from Met. Bull. database shows such vesicles. Thanks if someone has thoughts to share! My best, Zelimir http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=asteroid-meteorite-sudan-fireball Rock Science: First Meteorites Recovered on Earth from an Asteroid Tracked in Space Fragments in the Sudanese desert make up an asteroid trifecta: discovery, prediction and recovery By John Matson Scientific American March 25, 2009 Last October, asteroid monitors at the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona in Tucson picked up a small object on an immediate collision course with Earth. The asteroid was too small to
[meteorite-list] Palmer rock
I am new to this list and rock collecting in general. This is my first experience trying to pin down whether a rock is a meteor or not. I must say, the experience is quite engrossing! I realize my find is not likely a meteorite, but it is large enough that it seemed worthwhile to spend some of my time to find out. A write-up plus photos of what has been done so far, and my preliminary conclusions, are here: http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/RockPhotos/Rock.pdf Any advice or criticism appreciated. Best regards, Horace Heffner http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/ __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Possible Fall in South Carolina/Georgia?
Hi list, I was doing a Google search on fireballs and came across a number of articles on a bolide over the South Carolina / Georgia area on the 20th. On the AMS fireball sightings log there were almost 80 sightings and most of them had an accompanying boom. One of the articles is about Ruben Garcia making the trip to see if anything hit. I don't think anybody mentioned this pretty expansive incident to the list. Seems strange with so many reports that nobody here is talking about it! Links: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/03/21/met_515443.shtml (article about Ruben) http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/latest/lat_500783.shtml (more general article on the fireball) http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/georgia/41560942.html (reports of ground shaking) http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/fireball_log2009.html (AMS fireball log) Teddy A. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Odd meteorite.
Yes actually but I'll let you decide when and where to announce it if we are right. Elton --- On Thu, 3/26/09, Meteorites USA e...@meteoritesusa.com wrote: From: Meteorites USA e...@meteoritesusa.com Subject: [meteorite-list] Odd meteorite. To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009, 2:05 PM Anyone have a clue? http://www.meteoritesusa.com/odd-meteorite.htm Photos, links and articles on other meteorites similar to this would be greatly appreciated. Specifically I'm looking for info on SPECIMEN #UNWA001 You can reach me at: 904-236-5394 or contact via email... Thanks! -- Regards, Eric Wichman Meteorites USA http://www.meteoritesusa.com 904-236-5394 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Fw: New Issue: Lunar Magma Ocean Solidification
- Original Message - From: PSRD p...@higp.hawaii.edu To: psrdm...@soest.hawaii.edu Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 12:56 PM Subject: New Issue: Lunar Magma Ocean Solidification Announcement from Planetary Science Research Discoveries [PSRD] New article online: Time to Solidify an Ocean of Magma --A small mineral grain places limits on how long it took the lunar magma ocean to solidify. - We invite you to: READ: First summary paragraph for a quick overview PRINT: pdf version VIEW: short slide summary - FULL ARTICLE at: http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Mar09/magmaOceanSolidification.html - FIND MORE IN OUR ARCHIVES: http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Archive/Contents.html - PSRD is an educational web site supported by NASA's SMD Cosmochemistry Program and the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium to share the latest research on meteorites, planets, moons, and other bodies in our Solar System. You are subscribed to our free mailing list. We never send attachments. For more information please see http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/PSRDsubscribe.html - Jeff Taylor and Linda Martel Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii p...@higp.hawaii.edu voice (808) 956-3899 fax (808) 956-6322 http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Update - March 26, 2009
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/26mar_marsroverupdate.htm Mars Rover Update NASA Science News 03.26.2009 March 26, 2009: In January 2004, NASA landed two identical robotic rovers named Spirit and Opportunity on the surface of Mars. The twins were primed for a brief 3-month mission to tell us a story of water and possibly life itself in the planet's past. More than five years later, the dynamic duo are still roving the Red Planet, engaged in a saga of overachievement that has transformed Mars exploration. Spirit and Opportunity helped invent a whole new discipline -- robotic field science, says Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. They've taught us how to organize large teams of scientists and engineers to operate robotic rovers on a distant planet. We all had to learn to work together effectively year after year to squeeze the most possible science from the rovers. The teams are still squeezing. Among the remarkable findings from these solar-powered robots over the half-decade: Mars wasn't always as cold and dry as it is today. Maybe it didn't look like a set for The Sound of Music, but it had water and was warm enough for life. Mars Exploration Mission team members have also learned the perils of maneuvering robotic rovers located a hundred million kilometers away. They've gotten the vehicles stuck more than once. We now know how to negotiate sand dunes and piles of rocks, says Squyres, and perhaps more importantly â how to avoid them. We've translated five years of experience into new and improved maps and driving software that will help us in the remainder of our mission, and will also help future rovers. Hopeful planners are already setting future operations for the twins, assuming the pair will continue to plow ahead but acknowledging that one or both of the rovers could fail at any time. After all, these robots aren't exactly spring chickens. Spirit has been driving backwards since one of its wheels jammed in 2006, and a broken electrical wire has reduced movement of Opportunity's robotic arm. Provided the twins hold up a while longer, here are the latest plans: Opportunity, the lucky vehicle since day 1 according to Squyres, has been crater-hopping since the beginning of the mission and is now heading south to the largest crater yet. The Endeavor crater is 20 km in diameter and 100s of meters deep. We'll have to double the odometer reading on a five year old vehicle to get there, says Squyres. And it will take at least two years to reach it. [100 meters per day is an average day for Opportunity.] It'll be a long march across the plains, but it will be well worth it. The deeper the crater the older the history of Mars we can look at. Ray Arvidson, deputy principal investigator, elaborates: Endeavor is an intriguing target because the rocks close to it look different from the ones surrounding the other craters Opportunity has visited. Part of Endeavor crater's rim is sticking up â Mars' ancient bedrock exposed -- and rocks nearby may be suggestive of acidic lakes on Mars' surface billions of years ago. And what about the other twin? Spirit is the more challenging rover to operate, says Squyres. There's not as much wind at its location to clean the solar arrays, and that affects the vehicle's power. Also, Spirit has to travel a more challenging terrain. The rocks and loose sand at Spirit's location are treacherous. Of course, to top it all off, Spirit is driving backwards. Luckily, Spirit's landing site features a compact geology with enormous diversity and variability in a small area. Spirit is now creeping steadily along a route to von Braun, an interesting looking mesa-shaped cap-rock that stands only about 250 meters away but will take months to reach. Then Spirit will head to a 30-meter diameter pit that may be a volcanic explosion crater -- and perhaps a location for hydrothermal activity. Because of the geology of its surroundings, Spirit specializes in looking for evidence in the rock record of water-charged explosive volcanism, says Arvidson. Such areas could have once supported life. Home Plate, where Spirit spent the winter, is a volcanic structure eroded down so we can see the layers, explains Arvidson. And we think von Braun and the neighboring Goddard structure may be made of the same stuff. The Mars Exploration Team members have high hopes for the rovers to achieve all these ambitious goals but are mindful of the twins' limitations. We have no way of knowing what the future holds for the rovers at this point, says Squyres. The mission could easily end tomorrow. But, the miracle could continue. Arvidson recalls the day, over five years ago, when Spirit first touched down on the red planet. I was on a plane on my way back from Hawaii, headed to the Los Angeles airport, when Spirit was due to land. I just had to know if the rover had made it, so I asked the pilot to radio ahead to air traffic controllers and find
Re: [meteorite-list] Palmer rock
I would guess a metamorph diabase heavily weathered. It could also be a sedimentary rock of some kind, hard to tell without having a piece of it in my hand. Nothing interesting, put it in the garden. If it was laying on top of the snow it couldn't have come from the sky. I would have either shattered on impact or created an impact pit. I can't see any crust, just weathered iron bearing stone with a surface of mixed iron hydroxides and oxides (i.e. rust). Even if you don't find any similar rocks in the vicinity it doesn't mean anything. You said it yourself, the top 100 feet of soil is galcial moraine. so it could have come from anywhere. It's time for a reality check, you have discarded a number of various meteorite classes, try the same thing for every rock type found in Alaska and you will get a long list of rocks it could be. If you don't want to do it then you already suspect it is not a meteorite but don't want to shatter your dream. Probably not what you wanted to hear after investing so much in EDS and other research, but you asked for my opinion. You are welcome to Sweden, I can probably find a similar rock within 30 minutes walk from my home. Regards, Göran Horace Heffner wrote: I am new to this list and rock collecting in general. This is my first experience trying to pin down whether a rock is a meteor or not. I must say, the experience is quite engrossing! I realize my find is not likely a meteorite, but it is large enough that it seemed worthwhile to spend some of my time to find out. A write-up plus photos of what has been done so far, and my preliminary conclusions, are here: http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/RockPhotos/Rock.pdf Any advice or criticism appreciated. Best regards, Horace Heffner http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/ __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Fusion crusted meteoroids
Hi all - I suppose that when we start to get decent IR images, this will be used to explain the dark comets, i.l. the dead comet fragments. Rationalizations work in strange ways E.P. Grondine Man and Impact in the Americas __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Odd meteorite.
Phil, Hmmm Yeah, but I'm still not so sure. It is close. The gray-green or blue crackly crust is very similar but there's not many high resolution photos of the Sahara 03500 crust. I have an oriented piece that I think might be of the same material on my site. Problem is it's oriented so I would have to sand a window or CUT it to see the interior which I'm not ready to do just yet... h I've added photos of the oriented piece on the odd meteorite page. http://www.meteoritesusa.com/odd-meteorite.htm Are these specimens all the same? SPECIMEN #UNWA004 ORIENTED, SPECIMEN #UNWA001, SPECIMEN #UNWA002, SPECIMEN #UNWA003 I found more photos of the SAHARA 03500: Nice photos: http://www.meteoritestudies.com/protected_S03500.HTM More photos: http://www.spacerocksinc.com/November_17.html Powerpoint presentation - WARNING - must download the ppt file to view: http://www.caillou-noir.com/image/TassaMahchi_BD_clermont.ppt Eric Phil Morgan wrote: Hi Eric and Elton, Sure looks an awful lot like Sahara 03500 (Tassa Mahchi) as described and pictured here: http://www.caillou-noir.com/TassaMahchi.htm What were you guys thinking? Very cool! Phil On Thu, Mar 26, 2009 at 1:19 PM, Mr EMan mstrema...@yahoo.com wrote: Yes actually but I'll let you decide when and where to announce it if we are right. Elton --- On Thu, 3/26/09, Meteorites USA e...@meteoritesusa.com wrote: From: Meteorites USA e...@meteoritesusa.com Subject: [meteorite-list] Odd meteorite. To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009, 2:05 PM Anyone have a clue? http://www.meteoritesusa.com/odd-meteorite.htm Photos, links and articles on other meteorites similar to this would be greatly appreciated. Specifically I'm looking for info on SPECIMEN #UNWA001 You can reach me at: 904-236-5394 or contact via email... Thanks! -- Regards, Eric Wichman Meteorites USA 904-236-5394 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Almahata Sitta Pictures
More pictures of Almahata Sitta http://www.universetoday.com/2009/03/25/meteorites-found-in-africa-from-first-predicted-asteroid-hit/ Carl Esparza __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Asteroid Monitored from Outer Space to Ground Impact (2008 TC3)
Hi all: I know that Rich Kolwalski slept through most of the initial excitement after he reported the discovery of 2008 TC3 to the Minor Planet Center, but I would not consider him automated! Larry Public Affairs Sandia National Laboratories Media contact: Neal Singer, (505) 845-7078 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2009 We saw it coming: Asteroid monitored from outer space to ground impact Sandians Mark Boslough and Dick Spalding watch it in real time ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Reports by scientists of meteorites striking Earth in the past have resembled police reports of so many muggings -- the offenders came out of nowhere and then disappeared into the crowd, making it difficult to get more than very basic facts. Now an international research team has been able to identify an asteroid in space before it entered Earth's atmosphere, enabling computers to determine its area of origin in the solar system as well as predict the arrival time and location on Earth of its shattered surviving parts. I would say that this work demonstrates, for the first time, the ability of astronomers to discover and predict the impact of a space object, says Sandia National Laboratories researcher Mark Boslough, a member of the research team. Perhaps more importantly, the event tested the ability of society to respond very quickly to a predicted impact, says Boslough. In this case, it was never a threat, so the response was scientific. Had it been deemed a threat -- a larger asteroid that would explode over a populated area -- an alert could have been issued in time that could potentially save lives by evacuating the danger zone or instructing people to take cover. The profusion of information in this case also helps meteoriticists learn the orbits of parent bodies that yield various types of meteorites. Such knowledge could help future space missions explore or even mine the asteroids in Earth-crossing orbits, Boslough says. The four-meter-diameter asteroid, called 2008 TC3, was initially sighted by the automated Catalina Sky Survey telescope at Mount Lemmon, Ariz., on Oct. 6. Numerous observatories, alerted to the invader, then imaged the object. Computations correctly predicted impact would occur 19 hours after discovery in the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan. According to NASA's Near Earth Object program, A spectacular fireball lit up the predawn sky above Northern Sudan on October 7, 2008. A wide variety of analyses were performed while the asteroid was en route and after its surviving pieces were located by meteorite hunters in an intense search. Researchers, listed in the paper describing this work in the March 26 issue of the journal Nature, range from the SETI Institute, the University of Khartoum, Juba University (Sudan), Sandia, Caltech, NASA Johnson Space Center and NASA Ames, to other universities in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, England, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Sandia researcher Dick Spalding interpreted recorded data about the atmospheric fireball, and Boslough estimated the aerodynamic pressure and strength of the asteroid based on the estimated burst altitude of 36 kilometers. Searchers have recovered 47 meteorites so far -- offshoots from the disintegrating asteroid, mostly immolated by its encounter with atmospheric friction -- with a total mass of 3.95 kilograms. The analyzed material showed carbon-rich materials not yet represented in meteorite collections, indicating that fragile materials still unknown may account for some asteroid classes. Such meteorites are less likely to survive due to destruction upon entry and weathering once they land on Earth's surface. Chunks of iron and hard rock last longer and are easier to find than clumps of soft carbonaceous materials, says Boslough. We knew that locating an incoming object while still in space could be done, but it had never actually been demonstrated until now, says Boslough. In this post-rational age where scientific explanations and computer models are often derided as 'only theories,' it is nice to have a demonstration like this. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major RD responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. IMAGE CAPTIONS: [Image 1: http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2009/images/asteroid_boslough.jpg (4.7MB)] Don't look back -- it may be gaining on you: Sandia's Mark Boslough discusses aspects of asteroids (Photo by Randy Montoya) [Image 2: http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2009/images/asteroid_spalding.jpg (1.5MB)] Dick Spalding examines the night sky (Photo by Randy Montoya)
Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature
Hola again, Göran. We did some search...and it is possibly a specular hematite nodule.It surely comes from the Saharan deserts. In the search, could not find a similar rounded nodule of specular hematiteit must be a very old one for its wheathered and eroded nature.BTW.NASA has an old article about hematite and its probably location on Mars surface : http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/spotlight/hematite01.html and..In the below link, there are lots of pictures of all kid of hematite : http://mars.mines.edu/smplist/GeoMHema/smplist.htm Anyway...this little specular hematite stone, will enhance our rock and mineral collection. Hasta la vista, larense -- Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:49:18 +0100 From: axels...@acc.umu.se To: gian...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature Been there, done that... In every bulk shipment there are those that are meteowrongs. I've found a couple of them, often when buying kilos of small weathered meteorites. I got one of Steves freebies when I was new in this area and that was also a meteowrong. I guess I got what I paid for. :-D In any case, it is always interesting and fun to find out what you really got. Hälsningar Göran gian gallo wrote: Hola Göran. It was sent to us as a meteorite. Following your advicewe get our neomagnetand put it close to the stone.result : the stone did not stick to itso.your guess point to the right direction. Tonight we will sand a window to see its matrix. Thanks in advance. Hasta la vista, larense Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:54:02 +0100 From: axels...@acc.umu.se To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature Are you sure it is a meteorite? It could be a hematite concretion or some other earth mineral. The fact that it is heavier than an ordinary stone but doesn't affect the compass needle sounds like some hematite iron ore. Hematite could develop mica-like structures. Göran gian gallo wrote: Hola Carl. We are not saying it is micait is the arrangement the silvery specks has, that seems to be a mica-like feature. We think that its FC , has weathered away almost completely. It is the only one of the three stones, that can not move our compass needleand we have not sticked yet, a neo magnet to it. Although the three stones are nearly of the same size, this one is the heaviest. In the below picture, the stone is the one at the right side : http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/43907/2096345270100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense -- Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:52:08 -0700 From: cdtuc...@cox.net To: gian...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature I would like to see the inside. Are you going to slice it? It is very difficult to see anything that looks like mica in photo. Does it have a fusion crust? If you do see mica it may not be a meteorite. Carl gian gallo wrote: Hola to all. Today we recieved three freebies from Steve Arnold ( Chicago ). Thanks you some much, Steve.and...in one of them, we have found some strange feature on its surface..silvery specks that shines as if it were a mica stone. This feature is only seen if we have the right angle of light to see it. ¿ Has anyone here seen this before. Any help is welcome. The little stone weights 13.1 grams. Below, four picturesof two diferent areas...that shows this strange feature, in direct and reflected light, pictures taken with a stereo - lupe : First area : http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/42871/2739672990100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42168/2856801200100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Second area : http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/42392/2290974480100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/43667/2053070070100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense _ Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_safety_112008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list _ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119462413/direct/01/ _ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail.
[meteorite-list] Ad: LARGE Nantan slices.
Helloe everyone, I am back home again, after a short vacation in Las Vegas with my wife who I have not seen in months! I just got a shipment of fantastic large Nantan partslices, I am talking multi-kilo slices! I will be offering these up for sale tomorrow, as it is too late today to get any work done on them. I bought a 300 kilogram piece last year, and had it cut up, keeping a 100 kilo endcut for myself, Robert Ward kept another 100 kilo endcut, and other parts were sold. I finished up with a 30 kilo piece and have a few large slices. Before you gag on hearing the worn Nantan you should reconsider. I once had a 5 kilo endcut and it was perfectly stable. These have been cut for almost a year, and the partslices were cut and finished by Marlin Cilz. The etch is fantastic, one of the better looking irons, full of triolites. It is also very stable, though proper care is required, they should be fine for places except Germany or Florida! They are very large, and thick cut to allow for re-finishing in the future should they need it. Photos up tomorrow but if you want one, email me so I can get you a list. Michael Farmer __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Ad: LARGE Nantan slices.
- Original Message - From: Michael Farmer meteorite...@yahoo.com To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 1:55 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] Ad: LARGE Nantan slices. Farmer wrote: places except Germany or Florida! I waited a lifetime to recognize this as an alternative :-))) Matthias __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature
I'd ask for my money back!!! lol You've ruled out mica and that is good. If it were mica it is immediate proof that this isn't a meteorite. Google up: specular hematite. See where that takes you. Had it been magnetic and not so shinny, I would have considered this a possible separation along kamacite and taenite lamallae/bands. But it isn't and that loops back to hematite. Since this is a tumbled weathered surface, true clues are obscure. Photos are exceedingly difficult to make an ID by unless the specimen has distinctive features which are unique to that mineral species. Specular hematite is sort'a one of those that is distinctive. Elton __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Ad: LARGE Nantan slices.
It is just that those are high humidity places and not optimum for these slices. Michael Farmer Sent from my iPhone Michael On Mar 26, 2009, at 6:02 PM, Matthias Bärmann majbaerm...@web.de wrote: - Original Message - From: Michael Farmer meteorite...@yahoo.com To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 1:55 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] Ad: LARGE Nantan slices. Farmer wrote: places except Germany or Florida! I waited a lifetime to recognize this as an alternative :-))) Matthias __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Question on Ouzina Pairings - or has more material been found?
Hello List, Sorry if anyone gets this twice - I did not get a copy in my email as I usually do. Does anyone know of any R4 that is paired with Ouzina? Or if any additional pieces were found? I am interested in knowing if the original 642 gram TKW still stands. Thanks much! Ed --- Ed Deckert IMCA #8911http://imca.cc/ E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (6.0.0.386) Database version: 5.12040 http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] AD: Nantan photos
In response to so many requests for photos, I was able to get quick pics of a couple of the slices. I have 9 total pieces, 1,996 gram partslices. Measures 235 mm x 190 mm x 10 mm http://meteoriteguy.com/ebayauctionstockphotos/nantan1996.JPG You can see the many triolite nodules and absolutely incredble etch on these pieces. Finished on both sides. $1200.00 2,495 gram partslice. Measures 225 mm x 195 mm x 10 mm. http://meteoriteguy.com/ebayauctionstockphotos/nantan2495.JPG $1500.00 I have 7 other pieces if these do not meet your needs. All similar weights and shapes. The finishing on these pieces took months and cost thousands of $$$. Michael Farmer __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Almahata Sitta Pictures
Masses range from 1.5 g to 283 g, spread for 29km along the approach path in a manner expected for debris from 2008 TC3 A strewn field 29km long? Surely they haven't found everything in that. Get out there, guys! __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature
Hola Elton.Thanks for your reply. We took some close up pictures of this specular hematite nodule ( a meteorwrong )...so you can have a better idea of how it looks like : http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/44105/2089588630100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/42422/2229304230100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/16587/2075037230100862759S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/44215/2773818230100862759S600x600Q85.jpg Hasta la vista, larense -- Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:14:37 -0700 From: mstrema...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Strange surface feature To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com; gian...@hotmail.com I'd ask for my money back!!! lol You've ruled out mica and that is good. If it were mica it is immediate proof that this isn't a meteorite. Google up: specular hematite. See where that takes you. Had it been magnetic and not so shinny, I would have considered this a possible separation along kamacite and taenite lamallae/bands. But it isn't and that loops back to hematite. Since this is a tumbled weathered surface, true clues are obscure. Photos are exceedingly difficult to make an ID by unless the specimen has distinctive features which are unique to that mineral species. Specular hematite is sort'a one of those that is distinctive. Elton _ See how Windows® connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your life http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119463819/direct/01/ __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] 40% off sale (ad)
Hi list.Things have moving so well I thought I would make the remaining items 40% off thru monday.Shipping is extra.View here at chicagometeorites.net/ and thanks. Steve R.Arnold No#1!,Chicago! a rel=nofollow/a __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Looking for information on NWA 4905 Basaltic Eucrite
Hi list, I was recently able to borrow a thin section of NWA 4905, the Basaltic Eucrite. I am very happy with the microscope images I took and I plan to use them in the next issue of Meteorite Times. I am unable to find much more information on this material that isn't already written on the thin section! Does any one have enough information on this material to share a write up with me? I would like to put in the article and give you credit. Thanks, Tom **Free Credit Report and Score Tracking! Get it Now for $0 at CreditReport.com. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1220474599x1201401934/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fwww.creditreport.com%3Fsrc%3Daolemail%26kwd%3Dmlftrtextlin k) __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Ad: Nantan specimen list
Here is the price list for all slices, all finished on both sides. 1627 grams $975.00 2140 grams $1285.00 2564 grams $1540.00 2512 grams $1500.00 2735 grams $1640.00 2635 grams $1580.00 I have 8 total pieces, 1,996 gram partslices. Measures 235 mm x 190 mm x 10 mm http://meteoriteguy.com/ebayauctionstockphotos/nantan1996.JPG You can see the many triolite nodules and absolutely incredble etch on these pieces. Finished on both sides. $1200.00 2,495 gram partslice. Measures 225 mm x 195 mm x 10 mm. http://meteoriteguy.com/ebayauctionstockphotos/nantan2495.JPG $1500.00 Again, this was a very large piece I selected and sliced up. Small Nantan pieces are usually garbage, but a 300 kilo piece had no cracks or problems and was perfectly solid, so these slices as you can see in the photos, are fine for any collection. Cut loss making these slices was about 40% with finishing on both sides. Michael Farmer __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
