How to identify a Meteorite
You found several interesting rocks in the field trip.
Do the rock in your hand a meteorite ?
The chance in getting
a meteorite from field (termed as find) is very rare.
1 in 1000 rocks
could be a meteorites.
Few tests:
Check if it had a fusion crust.
Fusion crust: A thin black-shiney layer on the rock
(see photo: black on left side is fusion crust)
Petrology and mineralogy
Inspect the inside structure, for presence of 'Chondrules'
, a round shape objects, if the meteorite is of primitive type (chondrite)
Iron type meteorites: 90% iron, ~8% Ni (any other composition could be space junk). Check
Widmanstatten Pattern
Oxygen isotope
Remember: Now there is lot of material fall on Earth's surface. It is mainly parts of rockets, a space junk
The rocket parts also fall similar to meteorites. They will also have fusion crust !!
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