As a relatively new collector I could be missing the point. But, isn't true
that a "rock" does not become a meteorite, (Lunar, Martian, or anything
else), until a scientist says so and assigns a number or name?
If this is true, then it would be untruthful for anyone, especially a
dealer, to say "I have a Lunar meteorite" until it has been verified.
Randy
From: "Edwin Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
Subject: [meteorite-list] a reply to Hupe and Farmer
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 01:19:37 +0000
Dear Mike Farmer and Adam Hupe. Who made you two the hall monitors of
honesty and morals? It seems odd to me that you both feel compelled to air
this issue in public without even so much as an effort to talk to me about
it in person first. Both of you were welcomed in my room in Tucson. You
both saw the meteorites that I had on display. There were a large number of
wonderful achondrites on display in the two largest display cases. Many of
them were on display without labels or prices because they are not
yet classified. Three of these beautiful specimens were displayed together
on the top shelf of the first case because they were most curious and
impressive. I dont know what these stones are as yet. One stone 2 ½
kilograms, is extremely fresh with beautiful black fusion crust. I hope
that it may turn out to be a diogenite, but wow how cool would that be if
it did turn out to be an SNC! Well, all I can do is hope for now. The
other large stone looks like a very fresh eucrite similar to Ibitira or
maybe a very fresh mare basalt, but there again, all I can do is wait for
the analysis. Got my fingers crossed on that one too. It weighs 1.5 kilos
roughly. The third stone is the exciting one. I told this story to a
number of friends in Tucson. When I showed the stone to Ted Bunch his
initial reaction was that it was probably labradorite. He said he thought
that it was terrestrial. But in the sunlight in the parking lot with a
hand lense I pointed out the things I saw that made me feel that it was a
meteorite. It is a very strange weathered stone with no fusion crust, very
little metal in it and the color is a beautiful grey-blue with light
colored shock veins running through the matrix. I was insistent that this
was something special and weird but Dr. Bunch still felt that it was
terrestrial. Later that week Ted Bunch called
me, he was very excited. He asked if I wanted to rush this stone through
the testing process. He hinted at planetary and he said that he thought we
might have a new aubrite! This was very exciting for me too as I have never
produced a new aubrite. Still I kept my enthusiasm in check. Then the next
day, Ann Sprague, the co-author of the book Mercury came by for a visit.
I told her that ten years ago Allan Rubin had asked me to keep an eye out
for the first potential Mercurian meteorite. When I asked Rubin and Warren
and Wasson what that might look like they gave a myriad of answers that
never really added up to anything concrete that I might use as the
standard. So here ten years later I asked Ann Sprague the same question.
Jim Gronewold and I both listened as the first words out of Anns mouth
were well, first of all it should look a lot
like Labradorite. I could see Jims eyes get bigger as he looked at me.
Then she said, and it should be extremely weathered and should only have
about 2 to 3% metal in it. Our eyes got even bigger as I walked over to
show her this weird specimen in the case. Then Ann and I took the stone out
to the parking lot with hand lense in tow to check out this stone. Ann was
very excited as she said Of all the meteorites I have ever looked at,
this meteorite appears to look the most like what we might expect a
mercurian meteorite to look like You can imagine my excitement but still
I am waiting for the test results. Although I must say that I told this
story to hundreds of people. Ann Sprague asked me to have Ted Bunch contact
her because she would like to do
testing on the stone at her lab as well. I am only hopeful that it turns
out to be an aubrite. There again, mercurian origin confirmation would
simply be a bonus. But even with numbers of people who are already hopeful
of it being something new and exciting beating down the door to get a
piece, I have not commited to sell any of these three stones nor any of the
other amazing meteorites that were only on display in my room and not
priced or labeled and I have not promoted them, although it appears that
the competition has already done that for me. It sounds like the Hupes may
know before I do what these beauties will turn out to be. And as for
Farmers ranting and raving and dealer envy, I hate to stoop to your level
Farmer, but shut up and move to
Panama. Wait, maybe the whole Panama thing was a joke or a lie or a sales
ploy.
Sincerely, Edwin Thompson
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