is this a meteorite?

arrowhead82

Sr. Member
Dec 12, 2012
334
86
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro and Garrett Pro pointer
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
hmmmmm :icon_scratch:
heavy and sticks to a magnet

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Iron-based meteorites are the most common (≈85+% of the falls). A metal detector will find them easily. Unless they're really big(!), iron meteorites aren't worth much except for bragging rights! It's the pallasites (<1% of the falls) that are worth the money.
 

Ordinary Chondrites are the most common... Iron meteorites are worth more than ordinary chondrites. It's very difficult to tell a meteorite from a "meteo-wrong" from just a picture. Getting a specialist to look at them is very difficult... Fusion crust is a good indicator along with nickel (and many others)
 

I saw a couple of meteorites up at Idlewylde mountain a year or so ago and it looks similar to this. I don't if this is one or not, but I'd get it checked out and hang onto it because that is just awesome!
 

I do not believe it is slag because slag does not ring up on the detector. this sounds off as a nickel/iron tones. thanks for the replies!
 

It looks like slag to me BUT no I'm no expert. I have a couple that looks sort of like that. Get it checked out if u can to be sure. Slag can contain iron but not many with nickel. Test it out... Good luck and keep us posted.
 

Your photos are marginal, but the small stone appears to be covered with a whitish, cement-like coating, making it a dead ringer for material I designate, "Pluto-meteorwrongs". I suggest that Pluto-meteorwrongs are extraterrestrial, but not meteorites, per say, in the traditional sense of the word.

Yes, there are more things in heaven and earth than have been imagined by astrophysicists, and while I defer to meteorite experts on inner solar system material, they would do well to leave the outer solar system to me.

I would go back with a strong magnet to see if you can find more. Check in stream beds in several places for a mile or so surrounding where you found this chunk, where erosion may have concentrated the material, and don't be surprised to find a mass so big you can't lift it! If you find more larger chunks, try cutting some with a wet saw. For less than $10 you can convert a 10" chop saw to a wet saw with a 10" cut-off disk (grinding wheel)--cut it outside while playing a thin stream of water on the grinding disk from a garden hose, and you may slice through embedded chunks of metallic iron with the brilliance of chrome.

https://hillscloud.wordpress.com/pl...-classical-kuiper-belt-reservoir-debris-disk/
 

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I found several chunks I thought had to be meteorites here, took them to the local university's mining museum here in Butte and they ended up being lumps of raw Iron magnetite. When I brought it in, even the geologist was curious about it, as it was VERY magnetic, and VERY heavy. They way they figured it out was under a microscope, there were mineral inclusions of feldspar, that is a terrestrial mineral. It looked very much like your pic. If you want to know for sure, I'd take it to a geologist for identification, i'd say that would be your best bet.
 

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