I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share? Bob Grant Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
I believe the same guy was recently featured in S&T. I have searched for micro-meteorites around my house in the past, sifting through rain-gutter debris, but like the aricle's author when he began his search, was always defeated by the staggering amount of "meteor-wrongs". Industruial particulates, common terrestrial dust, etc. I may take another stab at it one of these days. There's always been a lot of talk about a Salt Flats meteorite search, it should be easy to find a strewnfield if you can get out there quickly after a fall, but never heard of anyone doing anything more than a casual search, so I'm curious too! Bob, if you can make it to the next Liver & Onions luncheon, several of us will be bringing meteorite specimens for show & tell. I have a specimen of the Chelyabinsk bolide of 2013. On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:56 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share?
Bob Grant
A few years ago I did a school science fair project with my daughter on micro-meteorites. We had read about collecting them from the gutter, but came up with a new idea. We went up the canyon and found an unspoiled patch of snow, hoping to minimize any terrestrial contamination. We loaded up a big tote with the stuff and brought it home to melt. After it melted, we used a magnet to pull any iron particles out of the water. When we placed the particles on a microscope slide, we found multiple micro-meteorites. We could distinguish them because they were perfect little spheres. Looked just like microscopic BBs. This method only picks up the iron ones, but was a lot of fun. This ended up being a fascinating project, and not too hard. Good enough for honorable mention at state. ________________________________ From: Utah-Astronomy <utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com> on behalf of Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 6:24 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT I believe the same guy was recently featured in S&T. I have searched for micro-meteorites around my house in the past, sifting through rain-gutter debris, but like the aricle's author when he began his search, was always defeated by the staggering amount of "meteor-wrongs". Industruial particulates, common terrestrial dust, etc. I may take another stab at it one of these days. There's always been a lot of talk about a Salt Flats meteorite search, it should be easy to find a strewnfield if you can get out there quickly after a fall, but never heard of anyone doing anything more than a casual search, so I'm curious too! Bob, if you can make it to the next Liver & Onions luncheon, several of us will be bringing meteorite specimens for show & tell. I have a specimen of the Chelyabinsk bolide of 2013. On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:56 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share?
Bob Grant
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Utah-Astronomy Info Page - XMission<http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy> mailman.xmission.com This email list is for people interested in Astronomy in Utah. Discussion includes astronomical objects, telescope making and accessories, current astronomical events ... Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Utah-Astronomy Info Page - XMission<http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy> mailman.xmission.com This email list is for people interested in Astronomy in Utah. Discussion includes astronomical objects, telescope making and accessories, current astronomical events ... Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".
Chuck, Your rain gutters collect terrestrial dust as well as some micro-meteors. However, the environment in your rain gutters are not commonly rich in dust made up of magnetite (Fe302). Run a magnet through your rain gutters and you will be surprised at how much magnetite you pick up and the majority is micro-meteors. Thanks Rodger C. Fry -----Original Message----- From: Utah-Astronomy [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 6:24 AM To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT I believe the same guy was recently featured in S&T. I have searched for micro-meteorites around my house in the past, sifting through rain-gutter debris, but like the aricle's author when he began his search, was always defeated by the staggering amount of "meteor-wrongs". Industruial particulates, common terrestrial dust, etc. I may take another stab at it one of these days. There's always been a lot of talk about a Salt Flats meteorite search, it should be easy to find a strewnfield if you can get out there quickly after a fall, but never heard of anyone doing anything more than a casual search, so I'm curious too! Bob, if you can make it to the next Liver & Onions luncheon, several of us will be bringing meteorite specimens for show & tell. I have a specimen of the Chelyabinsk bolide of 2013. On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:56 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share?
Bob Grant
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".
I want to thank everybody for their insightful suggestions. When I get home again, I want to check my rain gutters for recent stuff, but I'm intrigued by the suggestion (that I think I got from that article) that planetary gravity may influence the rate of deposition of micro-meteorites over time, and can't help extrapolating from the little I know about analysis of polar ice. Could careful coring and strata-graphical analysis of the salt flats give evidence to the variation of the deposition of micro-meteorites, or conversely, the deposition of salt, in a much more "use friendly" environment? Just an amateur question, trying to connect some very wide dots. Bob ________________________________ From: Utah-Astronomy <utah-astronomy-bounces+cincoymaya=msn.com@mailman.xmission.com> on behalf of Rodger C Fry <rcfry@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 14:56 To: 'Utah Astronomy' Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT Chuck, Your rain gutters collect terrestrial dust as well as some micro-meteors. However, the environment in your rain gutters are not commonly rich in dust made up of magnetite (Fe302). Run a magnet through your rain gutters and you will be surprised at how much magnetite you pick up and the majority is micro-meteors. Thanks Rodger C. Fry -----Original Message----- From: Utah-Astronomy [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 6:24 AM To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT I believe the same guy was recently featured in S&T. I have searched for micro-meteorites around my house in the past, sifting through rain-gutter debris, but like the aricle's author when he began his search, was always defeated by the staggering amount of "meteor-wrongs". Industruial particulates, common terrestrial dust, etc. I may take another stab at it one of these days. There's always been a lot of talk about a Salt Flats meteorite search, it should be easy to find a strewnfield if you can get out there quickly after a fall, but never heard of anyone doing anything more than a casual search, so I'm curious too! Bob, if you can make it to the next Liver & Onions luncheon, several of us will be bringing meteorite specimens for show & tell. I have a specimen of the Chelyabinsk bolide of 2013. On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:56 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share?
Bob Grant
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".
I put a pie tin on my back porch for a few weeks, and then ran a magnet over the detritus, I got a few micro meteorites that way. Was kinda fun. Dan -- Daniel Holmes, danielh@holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin
On Mar 16, 2017, at 9:59 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I want to thank everybody for their insightful suggestions.
When I get home again, I want to check my rain gutters for recent stuff, but I'm intrigued by the suggestion (that I think I got from that article) that planetary gravity may influence the rate of deposition of micro-meteorites over time, and can't help extrapolating from the little I know about analysis of polar ice. Could careful coring and strata-graphical analysis of the salt flats give evidence to the variation of the deposition of micro-meteorites, or conversely, the deposition of salt, in a much more "use friendly" environment? Just an amateur question, trying to connect some very wide dots.
Bob
________________________________ From: Utah-Astronomy <utah-astronomy-bounces+cincoymaya=msn.com@mailman.xmission.com> on behalf of Rodger C Fry <rcfry@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 14:56 To: 'Utah Astronomy' Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT
Chuck,
Your rain gutters collect terrestrial dust as well as some micro-meteors. However, the environment in your rain gutters are not commonly rich in dust made up of magnetite (Fe302). Run a magnet through your rain gutters and you will be surprised at how much magnetite you pick up and the majority is micro-meteors.
Thanks Rodger C. Fry
-----Original Message----- From: Utah-Astronomy [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 6:24 AM To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Micro-meteorites in today's NYT
I believe the same guy was recently featured in S&T. I have searched for micro-meteorites around my house in the past, sifting through rain-gutter debris, but like the aricle's author when he began his search, was always defeated by the staggering amount of "meteor-wrongs". Industruial particulates, common terrestrial dust, etc. I may take another stab at it one of these days.
There's always been a lot of talk about a Salt Flats meteorite search, it should be easy to find a strewnfield if you can get out there quickly after a fall, but never heard of anyone doing anything more than a casual search, so I'm curious too!
Bob, if you can make it to the next Liver & Onions luncheon, several of us will be bringing meteorite specimens for show & tell. I have a specimen of the Chelyabinsk bolide of 2013.
On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:56 PM, BOB MARILYN <CINCOYMAYA@msn.com> wrote:
I’m intrigued by today’s article in the New York Times science section about amateur micro-meteorite collection. If they can find such beautiful objects in gutters and on roofs, I would imagine that the salt flats should have collected a lot of objects smaller than bowling balls. Has anyone of this list successfully searched and collected any there? Any tips to share?
Bob Grant
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Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
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_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club.
To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
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participants (5)
-
BOB MARILYN -
Chuck Hards -
Daniel Holmes -
Richard Curtis -
Rodger C Fry