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Dirt Monster said:
That's an awesome test Outback! Very hard to tell by the inexperienced. I would have chosen as the others did for sure! Why would we hand over anything to the government? I think they tax us enough and keep enough from us all. If in WA and lucky enough to find a meteorite, I say what meteorite??
Thanks again Outback :Y:

Thanks 'pleased you enjoyed it :)
Most states have laws banning the collecting of meteorites , this has wrecked the science regarding where they were found as most will have a re-birth somewhere else .
A meteorite is just a rock until it's been classified as one ;)

jack
 
Heatho said:
Very intweresting Outback, I will certainly be looking at lumps of ironstone with a different perspective from now on. :) How is the best way to identify a meteorite in the field? Or should suspect rocks always be brought home for further investigation?

Hi Heatho ,
First off I use a golf club that's had the blade cut off & a strong rare earth magnet glued on the end , almost all meteorites are magnetic so using the club allows me to touch rocks without having to bend down .
I hunt in places that has few dark coloured rocks & check out any possible looking ones , I'll then take some back to the vehicle & use a diamond file to have a quick look under the surface .

Pic of spot we went looking for them :


jack .
 
Outback said:
Heatho said:
Very intweresting Outback, I will certainly be looking at lumps of ironstone with a different perspective from now on. :) How is the best way to identify a meteorite in the field? Or should suspect rocks always be brought home for further investigation?

Hi Heatho ,
First off I use a golf club that's had the blade cut off & a strong rare earth magnet glued on the end , almost all meteorites are magnetic so using the club allows me to touch rocks without having to bend down .
I hunt in places that has few dark coloured rocks & check out any possible looking ones , I'll then take some back to the vehicle & use a diamond file to have a quick look under the surface .

Pic of spot we went looking for them :
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r485/Bingo391/SANY0002-1.jpg

jack .
Cool pick Outback :cool: looks like the middle of nowhere :eek:
Are the meteorites more magnetic than the ironstone? or are you taking anything magnetic for later testing?
 
B5MECH said:
Cool pick Outback :cool: looks like the middle of nowhere :eek:
Are the meteorites more magnetic than the ironstone? or are you taking anything magnetic for later testing?

Yes meteorites are mostly more easy to identify from there magnetic strength , but that can be from weak to strong , they are also show degrees of weathering depending where they fell on earth .
In a dry desert it slows down , some on the coast only last a couple of hundred years depending on size & type . Iron ones last the longest .

Meteorites from the moon & Mars are not magnetic , they are so much more valuable then gold per gram .

jack
 
We've collected a few hot rocks. They are very heavy and will jump off the ground to the magnet and hang on like a lump of steel. I guess it might pay to take a file to them to see the inside :rolleyes:
 
Heatho said:
Great thread Jack. Is it possible to use a metal detector to hunt the metallic metorites?

Thanks Heatho :)

Yes metal detectors will signal on most meteorites , the Yanks use them a lot as their known strewn fields have been visually hunted out .
Here in Australia we are lucky to just use our eyes still .

jack .
 
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