Hi all, Thanks for the heart-felt replies to my query. I knew my question would evoke the true feelings of collectors out there. :-) Even though I need some classification in my life (and in my collections), I do see all of your points. And no, I don't do Beanie Babies and Pokemon. :-) I have a mineral collection and now a meteorite collection (and used to have a coin collection when I was a kid), so I do like specific items. My girlfriend and I will be digging for topaz or aquamarine crystals in Colorado and I'm just looking for good crystalline specimens, while my girlfriend will pick up a chunk of granite and think it's cool (although she also likes the crystalline specimens). Everyone is different and that's what makes us individuals (like meteorites).
Thanks again for sharing your opinions and thoughts about unclassified NWAs. I really do appreciate it. Regards, Bob -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 11:56 AM To: Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Subject: [meteorite-list] Unclassified NWAs: What's the attraction? Tom wrote: WOW! I can't remain silent. MOST of us are interested in the rocks, you know the material that came from out of this world. I've heard it said " There is no such thing as an ordinary chondrite" and that applies to all rocks from space. NORTON O.R. (2001) Ugly Ducklings of the desert (Meteorite Mag., August 2001, Vol. 7-3, pp. 22-23): None of the meteorites had fusion crusts. Most were severely fractured, some broken in pieces along fracture lines allowing for the entrance of terrestrial contaminants. The interiors were stained brown from iron oxide. But I kept telling myself that it didn't matter their condition. These "ugly ducklings" are, after all, real meteorites...Off they went to the thin section maker. When they returned and I had my first look at their interiors my "Ho hum, just another Sahara OC" attitude changed. Like the story of the ugly duckling, within the few months of grinding and polishing, a transfiguration had taken place. These "ordinary" chondrites were every bit as beautiful and exciting as any chondrites I have examined through the years. I was moved by the fact that I was the first to peer into the interiors of these asteroid chps. Wonderful discoveries abound in these sections. The textural variations are so great that the explorer is guaranteed to see structures never before seen by anyone. Herein lies the beauty of these "ugly ducklings". ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list