mars meteorite? Ex collection

[rockpassion]

Mars meteorite? Ex museum collection

 

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[Red-Coat]

Unfortunately, there's no way of telling from just looking at a picture. Martian meteorites usually have mineralogies which are similar to terrestrial rocks and it takes expert testing to differentiate them from terrestrial material.

Might I ask which museum and what documentation came with it? There are many smaller museums with no experience in meteoritics which don't have the required competence to perform the necessary tests.

If it has been confirmed as Martian by a laboratory with that competence, and it's from a museum collection, I would expect it to have an approved name from MetSoc and a write-up in the bulletin giving the detailed typology and analysis. Unless it's from a very recent fall/discovery but then, at minimum, I would expect a provisional name awaiting typology confirmation.

 

[rockpassion]

Unfortunately, there's no way of telling from just looking at a picture. Martian meteorites usually have mineralogies which are similar to terrestrial rocks and it takes expert testing to differentiate them from terrestrial material.

Might I ask which museum and what documentation came with it? There are many smaller museums with no experience in meteoritics which don't have the required competence to perform the necessary tests.

If it has been confirmed as Martian by a laboratory with that competence, and it's from a museum collection, I would expect it to have an approved name from MetSoc and a write-up in the bulletin giving the detailed typology and analysis. Unless it's from a very recent fall/discovery but then, at minimum, I would expect a provisional name awaiting typology confirmation.

Thanks for your reply. The stone has been found in the field by someone and donated to the depot collection of my small local natural history museum. They are moving to another building and couldn't keep everything. So what was not of interest to them they where trowing away. When i was there I spotted the box of rocks and this one drew my attention. The rock is a weathered example.

I was allowed to take some rocks. Sadly the found location of the rock is not known because the info has been lost over time. There has been chipped of a piece first to see the inside and then they possible thought is was interesting enough to cut and polish. I will keep it as a curiosity and maybe test it some day. But that is not easy for me because of the costs and the test locations in the USA.

 

[rockpassion]

by the way it does not attract a magnet and has some rust spots. This is what i found on the internet:
Can igneous rocks be magnetic?


Igneous rocks tend to be more magnetic than sedimentary rocks, but there is a very wide range of overlap. Magnetic minerals include metallic iron, nickel, cobalt, magnetite, pyrrhotite, and ulvospinel.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I know very little about meteorites but that looks like a common igneous rock to me.

 

[rockpassion]

I know very little about meteorites but that looks like a common igneous rock to me.

do you know which type? then i can compare. here some interesting info: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/are-rocks-mars-and-earth-alike

 

[ToddsPoint]

Possibly diabase with peridotite. The black specks could be tourmaline. I’m no geologist but I carve a lot of igneous rocks.

 

[rockpassion]

Possibly diabase with peridotite. The black specks could be tourmaline. I’m no geologist but I carve a lot of igneous rocks.

can you check if your diabase specimens are atracted to a magnet?

 

[rockpassion]

me thinks diabase after all. What do you guys think?

 

[Blackfoot58]

I think a clue would be the fact that the small museum no longer wanted it. That means that they have no verification of any type.
It certainly is an interesting story.
If you follow up on it, please post the results. 👍🏼

 

[rockpassion]

I think a clue would be the fact that the small museum no longer wanted it. That means that they have no verification of any type.
It certainly is an interesting story.
If you follow up on it, please post the results. 👍🏼

Do i understand correctly that there still is a chance i could be something?

 

[Red-Coat]

Do i understand correctly that there still is a chance i could be something?

Even a small provincial museum would surely be aware that if it were a Martian meteorite, it would have substantial value, which would far outweigh the cost of getting it tested. Currently you can get a meteorite verification (or otherwise) for $30 plus postage to/from the US. Although, in this case, I think it would be money wasted.

What you haven't made clear is whether the museum had any such belief, or if you spotted something in their box of unwanted rocks and made that speculation yourself. Personally, I see nothing which would have drawn me to that conclusion, particularly since there is no evidence of a fusion crust. For rocks with that kind of appearance, the only justifications for progressing to advanced meteorite testing would be if it were found 'out of area', in a sandy desert or snow field devoid of rocks, on a frozen lake, within a small crater, or someone had seen it actually fall from the sky.

I don't know if it's a terrestrial diabase or not (in Europe, the term 'dolerite' is more commonly used) but certainly looks to be igneous. Dolerites may or may not exhibit attraction to a magnet. Usually, there is weak attraction from the presence of magnetite in amounts around 2% (and more easily detected with a stronger rare-earth magnet) but not always. The same is generally true of other igneous Earth rocks in that family spectrum.

 

[rockpassion]

Even a small provincial museum would surely be aware that if it were a Martian meteorite, it would have substantial value, which would far outweigh the cost of getting it tested. Currently you can get a meteorite verification (or otherwise) for $30 plus postage to/from the US. Although, in this case, I think it would be money wasted.

What you haven't made clear is whether the museum had any such belief, or if you spotted something in their box of unwanted rocks and made that speculation yourself. Personally, I see nothing which would have drawn me to that conclusion, particularly since there is no evidence of a fusion crust. For rocks with that kind of appearance, the only justifications for progressing to advanced meteorite testing would be if it were found 'out of area', in a sandy desert or snow field devoid of rocks, on a frozen lake, within a small crater, or someone had seen it actually fall from the sky.

I don't know if it's a terrestrial diabase or not (in Europe, the term 'dolerite' is more commonly used) but certainly looks to be igneous. Dolerites may or may not exhibit attraction to a magnet. Usually, there is weak attraction from the presence of magnetite in amounts around 2% (and more easily detected with a stronger rare-earth magnet) but not always. The same is generally true of other igneous Earth rocks in that family spectrum.

thanks for the explanation and i understand. And i made the speculation myself. But i have found myself some diabase or dolerite and they are mostly atracted to a magnet no mather the type of magnet but not the flexible ones. The rocks that are donated to the museum could have been found anywhere but mostly on the Utrechte heuvelrug or from germany and norway. We will see what the future brings about this rock.

 

[Blackfoot58]

My intention was to point out the possible benefit of having it properly identified. Then you’ll know exactly what you do have.