I am putting together an email that will introduce two of my Junior High
students to the wonderful and bizzare world of the -TA TAH- meteorite
collectior.
Please read and feel free to offer any sugestions. Please let me know if
I've left out any important info or need to include something.
Any or all of this can be freely used in any way deemed useful by others.
THIS IS THE CORRECTED VERSION
Some terms to learn.
A METEORID is a METEORITE that is still in space. Some meteorites come from
an ASTEROID, or very rarely maybe from a comet.
Realistically, meteoroids, asteroids, and comets are different
things (even though an asteroid or comet could become a meteor, and
therefore be considered a meteoroid, such an event is happily very
rare).[1]
The streak of light as it enters earth's atmosphere is called a METEOR.
The ball of light and smoke as the meteor explodes into many fragments is
called a FIREBALL. Sometimes it is called a BOLIDE.
What actually hits the ground is a METEORITE.
Collectors refer to themselves as "collectors". People who study meteors
or meteorites scientifically are called meteoriticists. Some collectors are
meteoriticists, but not all. Similarly, not all meteoriticists are
collectors.[2]
The following link will set you up to receive Meteorite list emails. I urge
you to join this as there is much to be gained and learned from the many
experts as well as the newbies. Questions are answered (sometimes more
answers than you need at the time).
Like any group, there are squables, but even in the midst of these, there
are things to be learned.
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
If you go to Ebay to buy, look for the Logo of the IMCA. Attached is a
picture
of the logo. You can ask the seller if he is a member. If they are not a
member,
do not buy from them until you gain experience and know just what to look
for so you don't get taken. Should you ever desire to join this prestigeous
group, I would consider it a great honor to support your nomination to the
group. (I will have joined within the month--this will apply by then.)
Just what you decide to collect will depend on what your tastes and desires
are. There are those that collect hammers (a meteorite that has impacted
(usually) a man made object, sush as a house, car, mail box, basketball
court, fence corral, and a whole lotta stuff that I can't remember right
now.
Some collect spheres made from a meteorite, others collect the coins such as
I showed you. There are famous falls (a fall is a witnessed fall of the
meteorite)
Weston, Cali. Carancas, Sikhote Alin, Allende and others. You can collect by
State or by country.
Then there are the Lunars (the Moon) and Martians (Mars) and the asteroids
(4 Vesta). The science is still out, but there may be Mercurian meteorites
in the near future.
There is a bewildering array of classifications to choose from. You can
collect micros (very small-up to about 1/2 gram), slices, complete
individuals, thin sections--- some you can see thru).
There are NWA's (Northwest Africa) NEA's Northeast Africa
There are the meteorites and then the meteorite related--Bediasites, impact
shatter cones, and Tektites.
[1] The preceeding sentence is a quote from Chris Peterson.
[2] The preceeding sentence is a quote from Chris Peterson.
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