Possible Meteorite???

[treasure777]

I found this interesting rock on the train tracks near a park near my house. I tried smashing it open with a sledge hammer I have, but it is strong so I couldn't get it too crack open. Also it is not magnetic, but it leaves a light brown streak and possibly has some metal properties in the rock. Possible meteor or meteorite perhaps?? Can anyone help me out?? Thanks!!

 

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[Red-Coat]

'Meteor' and 'meteorite' are essentially the same thing. The difference is only that we call them 'meteors' while they are in outer space or 'incoming' and the name shifts to 'meteorites' if they actually reach the surface of the Earth.

Although not all meteorites have magnetic properties, anything which has a visible metallic content but isn't attracted to a magnet will not be a meteorite. There's no exception to that rule. Metallic meteorites will not leave a streak or, at best a weak dirty streak. It's also important to note when conducting a streak test that it's the colour of the streak on the porcelain itself which matters. Not the colour of any dust created during the streaking process. You need to blow and brush that away because it could just be oxidation residues coming off the surface of the specimen.

Railroad tracks are just about the worst place to look for meteorites. The ballast frequently has chunks of slag and clinker in it, although I can't say for sure that's what you have here. Slag and clinker frequently have a proportion of metal in them but it's not always iron-containing or magnetic. It depends on what kind of furnace operation has created it.

 

[tamrock]

Here's a chunk of pretty heavy Gibeon iron meteorite from Namibia in my hand that was in the office of customer I deal with, who operates the Sweet Home mine in Alma Colorado, but he also travels the globe in search of purchasing mineral specimens they deal with at a place called Collectors Edge. Always fun to drop by their warehouse and see all the pretty rocks with some worth a small fortune.

 

[JoeKeeling]

Looks like Slag to me too. I shoveled a couple of truck loads of slag to put in holes in our road back in the day.. And the fact that you found in near a RR track, it's most likely to be slag. But good eye buddy [emoji106]

 

[Dougie Webb]

Echoing above, I definitely do not think it's a meteorite. My qualifications are the 200 hours I spent last month researching meteorites because I was *convinced* I had one, and no one could tell me anything to the contrary.

It wasn't a meteorite, it was just an old piece of iron.

One clue is that big hole in the middle of it. I've not ever seen that on any meteorite.