Photo by Geoffrey Notkin, copyright Aerolite Meteorites. Fusion crust is thin and fragile and will weather away over time, so a recently fallen stone will exhibit a dark black crust with no weathering or rust stains. Note the very fresh, rich black fusion crust which is reminiscent of a charcoal briquette. This specimen was picked up immediately after the fall. It is an ordinary chondrite (H5) and an excellent example of a complete fusion crusted stone. Stone meteorite with fusion crust: This 307.1-gram stone meteorite fell as part of a shower on Octoin Mauretania. Than one percent turn out to be genuine visitors from outer space. Hundreds of suspected space rocks sent to us for testing, far less

I do spend a significantĪmount of time each year assisting people who think they may haveįound the real thing, but the odds are against it. Living hunting for, and studying, meteorites. So, the chances ofĭiscovering a new example are slim-even for those of us who make their Less common than gold, diamonds, or even emeralds. Meteorites are among the rarest materials that exist on our planet - far Sections of the site is a detailed guide to meteorite identification.Īs a result of that guide we receive, almost daily, inquiries by letterĪnd email from hopeful individuals who think they may have found a rock Of visitors each year, and I try to maintain a fair balance on the siteīetween education, photographs and reports about our expeditions, and Safer Stetson protocols will be in place for all museum visitors, including wearing masks and maintaining social distance.One of my happy tasks as a meteorite hunter is running a website that These out-of-this-world space rocks will only be on display through April 29, 2022! Come by and check them out today. The terrestrial material or 'target rock' near or beneath the impact site is altered by the enormous amount of heat, pressure and shock waves caused by the collision. Impactites develop after a large meteorite strike deforms the earth rocks, sand or soil around the point of impact. The exhibit also contains an array of impactites, including two tektites from the South Pacific a specimen of Libyan desert glass formed by an event that occurred on the Egyptian-Libyan border 29 million years ago, which created clear, honey-colored glass out of desert sand and a green-hued tektite from Ločenice, Czech Republic. Meteor Crater, AZ (USGS image) iron meteorite fragment from Meteor Crater, AZ iron meteorite from Toluca area, central Mexico, section showing crystal structure. An estimated 23 tons of fragments survived that meteorite's rather recent passage through our atmosphere, making it the largest magnitude fall ever recorded. A small iron meteorite from the famous Mundrabilla impact in Western Australia will also be on display, as well as pieces of meteorite 'shrapnel' that fell on the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in southeastern Russia in 1947. Gillespie and its first director and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Emeritus Robert Chauvin, PhD, from a meteorite shower in central Mexico near Toluca, and from the renowned Meteor Crater National Landmark in Winslow, Arizona. Other specimens include iron meteorites collected by the Gillespie Museum’s founder T.B. The Gillespie's large iron-nickel meteorite (Ed Dillenbeck image) meteorite fragments from Meteor Crater, AZ Gillespie student staff member putting final touches on display. The meteorite was originally found in South Africa and has been polished to reveal the Widmanstätten patterns, also known as Thomson structures, which are long, nickel-iron crystals that are found in the octahedrite-iron meteorites. Have you ever wondered what rock fragments from outer space can reveal about our planet and the solar system? Stop by the Gillespie Museum this spring to find out! This continuing exhibit features of a variety of meteorites and tektites from the Historic Gillespie Collection, offering a rare look at the museum's fascinating array of 'space rocks.' Visitors will have an opportunity to view 15 meteorites and impactites, including a 62-pound nickel and iron specimen, which was purchased through a Sotheby’s auction in the 1990s.

Meteorite rock