Meteorites may contain valuable info about solar system: Western U
03/21/2014 07:57 AM The Canadian Press
University researchers say at least one chunk of a meteorite may have landed in southwestern Ontario this week — and more rocks may also be waiting to be found.
Astronomers from Western University are asking people to check their properties for any remnants of the basketball-sized meteor they say likely came down near St. Thomas.
In Canada, landowners who find a meteorite on their property own it — but the researchers say they’d love to have a look at what they call a “Rosetta Stone” of scientific information.
Peter Brown, who specializes in the study of meteors and meteorites, says a “fairly bright” fireball was detected March 18 by Western’s network of all-sky cameras as it passed over southern Ontario.
Researcher Phil McCausland says any pieces will likely be the size of a golf ball or a baseball and probably came down somewhere to the north or west of St. Thomas.
He says if any such rock is to be found, it’s likely a member of the public will find it and the researchers are urging those who do find something to contact the university.
Brown says the fireball lasted for about five seconds before going dark and was seen by lots of people, particularly in the Toronto area, where it was clear that night.
“Based on all the video records we know that at least one and maybe more rocks survived the passage of this object through the atmosphere,” said Brown.
Someone nearby where the rocks fell might have heard a whistling sound or a thud, he said.
It’s the first significant meteorite fall in southern Ontario in about five years, Brown said, adding meteorites usually fall into lakes rather than on the ground where they can be found.
Finding one allows scientists to “sample another part of the solar system,” said Brown.
“Each one of those is like a Rosetta Stone, it’s really telling us something about the early solar system.”
Meteorites may best be recognized by their dark and scalloped exterior, and are usually denser than normal rock and will often attract a fridge magnet due to their metal content.
If you saw anything strange in the sky on Tuesday or if you think you’ve found a meteorite, send a tweet to researchers @MediaWesternU.
How do you know if you’ve found one? Check out the following seven tips, courtesy of NASA.
1. Metal
Most meteorites contain at least some metal. Do you see the metal shining on a broken surface? If so, you might have a
meteorite.
2. Density
Those meteorites that do have a lot of metal tend to be very dense compared to regular rocks. Do you have something very dense such that it could be a meteorite? But remember that not all meteorites are dense.
3. Magnetic Properties
A lot of meteorites contain shiny iron-nickel metal grains or consist largely of iron-nickel metal. The iron in the metal attracts a magnet. Is a magnet attracted to the surface of your sample? If so, you might have a meteorite. But remember that a lot of normal rocks on the Earth are also magnetic. So, just because something is magnetic, it doesn’t mean that it is a meteorite.
4. Chondrules
Some primitive meteorites have little round pieces of stony material in them. These little round pieces are called chondrules. Some sedimentary and volcanic rocks can have spherical particles that look somewhat like chondrules. Does your sample contain chondrules? If it does, you might have a meteorite.
5. Fusion crust
When a meteorite is falling through the atmosphere, it begins to heat up because of the extreme compression of the
atmosphere. The meteor gets so hot that the outer surface begins to melt, which produces a thin black/brown coating on the surface of the rock called a fusion crust.
Iron meteorites may show evidence of melted metal on their surface, but this is less common. Fusion crusts are present on freshly fallen meteorites, but the crusts are fragile and can weather away from samples that fell a long time ago.
Small patches of fusion crust can sometimes remain in hollows of the sample. Does your sample have a fusion crust? If so, you have a meteorite.
6. Regmaglypt texture/thumbprints
When the surface of the meteorite begins to melt during entry into the atmosphere, some areas of the meteorites are eroded by the melting more than others, almost like someone is taking little scoops of material out. This leaves a bunch of small dents in the surface of the rock, making it look like someone put thumbprints into clay.
The surface of most meteorite samples have these thumbprints called “regmaglypts,” which can vary in size from less than a centimeter up to as much as 10 centimeters. Does your sample have Regmaglypt texture/thumbprints? If so, you have a meteorite.
7. Streak
Most meteorites won’t leave a streak, but the surfaces of some meteorites might leave a reddish streak if they have been oxidized (rusted). If you drag your sample across this “streak plate,” and it leaves a red/orange line, then the sample is probably a common mineral on the Earth called hematite.
If the sample is magnetic and leaves a black or gray streak, then it might be the common terrestrial iron-oxide mineral
called magnetite. Does your sample cause a streak on a “streak plate?” If not, you may have a meteorite.
Meteorites may contain valuable info about solar system: Western U | CityNews
What to do if you find a meteorite
March 21, 2014
Astronomers from Western University are asking people to check their properties for any remnants of the basketball-sized meteor they say likely came down near St. Thomas this week. Meteorite curator Phil McCausland explains what to look for and what to do if you find a meteorite.
What to do if you find a meteorite | CityNews
St. Thomas meteorite holds info about solar system
March 21, 2014
Remnants of a basketball-sized meteorite fell near St. Thomas, Ont., earlier this week and scientists believe it could tell them about the solar system.
St. Thomas meteorite holds info about solar system | CityNews
St. Thomas fireball seen over Alymer
March 21, 2014
Astronomers from NASA and the University of Western Ontario are searching for pieces of a meteoroid near St. Thomas, Ontario.
A bright fireball was seen in the evening sky over the northern shore of Lake Erie on Tuesday.said.
St. Thomas fireball seen over Alymer | CityNews
03/21/2014 07:57 AM The Canadian Press
University researchers say at least one chunk of a meteorite may have landed in southwestern Ontario this week — and more rocks may also be waiting to be found.
Astronomers from Western University are asking people to check their properties for any remnants of the basketball-sized meteor they say likely came down near St. Thomas.
In Canada, landowners who find a meteorite on their property own it — but the researchers say they’d love to have a look at what they call a “Rosetta Stone” of scientific information.
Peter Brown, who specializes in the study of meteors and meteorites, says a “fairly bright” fireball was detected March 18 by Western’s network of all-sky cameras as it passed over southern Ontario.
Researcher Phil McCausland says any pieces will likely be the size of a golf ball or a baseball and probably came down somewhere to the north or west of St. Thomas.
He says if any such rock is to be found, it’s likely a member of the public will find it and the researchers are urging those who do find something to contact the university.
Brown says the fireball lasted for about five seconds before going dark and was seen by lots of people, particularly in the Toronto area, where it was clear that night.
“Based on all the video records we know that at least one and maybe more rocks survived the passage of this object through the atmosphere,” said Brown.
Someone nearby where the rocks fell might have heard a whistling sound or a thud, he said.
It’s the first significant meteorite fall in southern Ontario in about five years, Brown said, adding meteorites usually fall into lakes rather than on the ground where they can be found.
Finding one allows scientists to “sample another part of the solar system,” said Brown.
“Each one of those is like a Rosetta Stone, it’s really telling us something about the early solar system.”
Meteorites may best be recognized by their dark and scalloped exterior, and are usually denser than normal rock and will often attract a fridge magnet due to their metal content.
If you saw anything strange in the sky on Tuesday or if you think you’ve found a meteorite, send a tweet to researchers @MediaWesternU.
How do you know if you’ve found one? Check out the following seven tips, courtesy of NASA.
1. Metal
Most meteorites contain at least some metal. Do you see the metal shining on a broken surface? If so, you might have a
meteorite.
2. Density
Those meteorites that do have a lot of metal tend to be very dense compared to regular rocks. Do you have something very dense such that it could be a meteorite? But remember that not all meteorites are dense.
3. Magnetic Properties
A lot of meteorites contain shiny iron-nickel metal grains or consist largely of iron-nickel metal. The iron in the metal attracts a magnet. Is a magnet attracted to the surface of your sample? If so, you might have a meteorite. But remember that a lot of normal rocks on the Earth are also magnetic. So, just because something is magnetic, it doesn’t mean that it is a meteorite.
4. Chondrules
Some primitive meteorites have little round pieces of stony material in them. These little round pieces are called chondrules. Some sedimentary and volcanic rocks can have spherical particles that look somewhat like chondrules. Does your sample contain chondrules? If it does, you might have a meteorite.
5. Fusion crust
When a meteorite is falling through the atmosphere, it begins to heat up because of the extreme compression of the
atmosphere. The meteor gets so hot that the outer surface begins to melt, which produces a thin black/brown coating on the surface of the rock called a fusion crust.
Iron meteorites may show evidence of melted metal on their surface, but this is less common. Fusion crusts are present on freshly fallen meteorites, but the crusts are fragile and can weather away from samples that fell a long time ago.
Small patches of fusion crust can sometimes remain in hollows of the sample. Does your sample have a fusion crust? If so, you have a meteorite.
6. Regmaglypt texture/thumbprints
When the surface of the meteorite begins to melt during entry into the atmosphere, some areas of the meteorites are eroded by the melting more than others, almost like someone is taking little scoops of material out. This leaves a bunch of small dents in the surface of the rock, making it look like someone put thumbprints into clay.
The surface of most meteorite samples have these thumbprints called “regmaglypts,” which can vary in size from less than a centimeter up to as much as 10 centimeters. Does your sample have Regmaglypt texture/thumbprints? If so, you have a meteorite.
7. Streak
Most meteorites won’t leave a streak, but the surfaces of some meteorites might leave a reddish streak if they have been oxidized (rusted). If you drag your sample across this “streak plate,” and it leaves a red/orange line, then the sample is probably a common mineral on the Earth called hematite.
If the sample is magnetic and leaves a black or gray streak, then it might be the common terrestrial iron-oxide mineral
called magnetite. Does your sample cause a streak on a “streak plate?” If not, you may have a meteorite.
Meteorites may contain valuable info about solar system: Western U | CityNews
What to do if you find a meteorite
March 21, 2014
Astronomers from Western University are asking people to check their properties for any remnants of the basketball-sized meteor they say likely came down near St. Thomas this week. Meteorite curator Phil McCausland explains what to look for and what to do if you find a meteorite.
What to do if you find a meteorite | CityNews
St. Thomas meteorite holds info about solar system
March 21, 2014
Remnants of a basketball-sized meteorite fell near St. Thomas, Ont., earlier this week and scientists believe it could tell them about the solar system.
St. Thomas meteorite holds info about solar system | CityNews
St. Thomas fireball seen over Alymer
March 21, 2014
Astronomers from NASA and the University of Western Ontario are searching for pieces of a meteoroid near St. Thomas, Ontario.
A bright fireball was seen in the evening sky over the northern shore of Lake Erie on Tuesday.said.
St. Thomas fireball seen over Alymer | CityNews