![]() ![]() The rock in the mystery image is, indeed, a meteorite, from Mars. Want to know more? Visit ASU's in-depth meteorite identification page.Īdditional images via Wikimedia Commons. Meteorites are exceedingly rare and some can be difficult to distinguish from an Earth rock by appearance alone. ![]() ![]() If you scratch them across the bottom of a ceramic mug, those magnetic minerals on Earth (magnetite, hematite) will leave a reddish brown or grayish-black streak or mark. Buy Meteorite ID - Meteorite Testing Solution - The First Step in Meteorite Identification Spot Test for Nickel: Science Kits & Toys - FREE. If your rock is magnetic, is there a way to tell if it holds minerals from Earth, or if it’s actually a meteorite? There is. There are also some minerals (magnetite, hematite) on Earth that are magnetic.ģ) The magnetic scratch test. Some meteorites, like those from the Moon which are only made up of rocky minerals, will not be attracted to a magnet. But be careful-not all meteorites attract magnets only the meteorites that are rich in iron (such as iron or stony-iron meteorites) will attract magnets. You could carry a magnet and check if a rock is magnetic. Think you've found a meteorite Professor Chris Herd in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences is also curator of the University. So, the first hint that a rock could actually be a meteorite is whether it has a fusion crust.Ģ) Many meteorites are magnetic. Meteorite with historic labels: A 197.2-gram Henbury iron found in Australia in the mid-1930s, surrounded by a collection of specimen ID cards and museum labels. Many show aerodynamic shape, and their crusts may be marked with flow. Most meteorites attract a magnet, although some only slightly. This outer dark surface is called the ‘fusion crust’ which is very different from how the meteorites actually looks inside. If meteorites are not too badly weathered, they can be identified by their surface character. Among characteristics that identify meteorites are a high specific gravity (especially true for irons) a dark color and a dark glassy or dull crust if fresh or a rind of iron oxide (rust) if weathered. But could it be a meteorite? How can you tell? Here are three points to get you started on identifying meteorites.ġ) When a meteorite passes through the Earth’s atmosphere before it hits the land, its outer surface gets ‘cooked’ due to frictional heat. You press on it you smell it you look closely at it. You’ve found a dark rock that looks different from all the others nearby. ![]()
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