Why this rock is probably not a meteorite:
These two rocks were sent by a person who found them in Utah. Neither
has a fusion crust or regmaglypts. Both are angular, with no smooth
sides.
The rock at the top has a high specific gravity,
5.1. It does not contain metal, but is nevertheless
so magnetic that it will pick up a small
magnet. It has a metallic luster and gives a gray streak.
It also consists of elongated crystals. Together, these properties
are not consistent with any kind of meteorite.
The rock at the bottom also has a high specific gravity, 4.8. It does
not contain metal and is not magnetic. It has a metallic
luster and gives a red streak. Again, these properties together are
not consistent with any kind of meteorite.
|
What are they?
All of the properties of the top rock point to a rock composed dominantly
of magnetite. All of the properties of the
rock at the bottom are consistent with specular hematite.
|
|
These are two different rocks.
|
