Any idea? Meteorite?

[Kharv]

Need help identifying this. Found in Minnesota. It is magnetic, but not overly so. Certain areas seem more magnetic than others. Has several circular holes that appear to be impact spots. Brown on end section is not for, but appears to be rust?

 

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[Indian Steve]

sorry but looks like slag to me

 

[Noah_D]

sorry but looks like slag to me

I agree. The circular holes could just be bubbles.

 

[Kharv]

Don't know much about what slag is, but after a quick Google search, doesn't resemble much of the pictures I saw. Any tests I could do at home or anything?

 

[Noah_D]

I am not sure what tests you would be able to do at home, someone else who knows more will probably come along later though. it being slag is just my best guess, they used slag underneath railroad tracks where I live and it looks a lot like that to me.

 

[Plug N Play]

Coal Clinkers can sometimes be mildly magnetic.

 

[AU Seeker]

Not a meteorite, meteorites do not have air/gas pockets, because they were formed in the vacuum of space and as such no air or gases to create them...i.e. the tiny little holes in your specimen

 

[Terry Soloman]

Could be basalt.

 

[desertexplorer]

There are some meteorites that do have what are called “gas” holes called Vesicles. These are very rare and commend a good price. Yours doesn’t really fit the type of meteorite with the vesicle gas holes but looks more like a lava flow rock or clinker from coal or maybe even slag from a furnace but you never know and should still have it checked out with a university that specializes in meteorite analysis. This web site from Washington University gives some great information on these type of meteorites:

http://meteorites.wustl.edu/id/vesicles.htm

 

[Indian Steve]

I have found a lot of pieces that look like this around old iron furnace. I would bet on slag

 

[tamrock]

That slag can be found all over the country as much of it was used as railroad ballast they got from steel refining and smelting plants.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

For more information, you might want to re-post your thread here... Meteorites

Dave

 

[Kharv]

Thanks to everyone for the replies and information. Can't quite remember where I found this one, but I believe it was by the side of a road in/near downtown Minneapolis, if that helps at all. No railroad or furnace nearby.

I may be wrong, but I imagine if it were slag, it would be incredibly magnetic, and it's not. I'm using a very strong magnet, and it barely registers magnetism, more so on the dirt looking spot than the shiny metallic area. There's a sheen on this thing that I've never seen before. Research into meteorites says this is common, as it's caused by elements on the outside melting while the rock is falling through orbit.

I'm not convinced in any way that it's a meteorite, or anything else for that matter. Just trying to consider all of the details and my minimal knowledge. I think getting it tested would be the best bet, but not if it's glaringly or obviously not a meteorite. Just, physically, it looks like nothing I have ever seen before. The shine/sheen on it almost looks like how an oil spot looks when the sun hits it the right way. I tried displaying that the best I could with the 3rd photo.

 

[A2coins]

Good thing to ask cant hurt to have it looked at by a professional but meteorites are a very rare find. Good luck