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My grandfather found this possible meteorite in southeast Alaska about 30 years ago. It streaks black and is magnetic. Is it a meteorite and if so, what kind would it be?
2007-02-14 16:08:19 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
If not a meteorite it is probably magnetite. The black streak and magnetism are consistent with the 2 of the 3 main field indicators for magnetite, the third is crystal habit (typically octahedrons but rarely rhombododecahedron or other isometric forms, commonly found massive or granular). If your grandfather found it on top of snow or ice, it's almost positively a meteorite.
I think it's worth taking by a museum, college, or department of natural resources for a closer examination by an expert. Either way it's a nice specimen, but I'm guessing it's originally from this planet.
2007-02-14 19:04:59 · answer #1 · answered by Now and Then Comes a Thought 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is almost certainly not a meteorite. The only meteorites that are magnetic are the "iron" meteorites which will produce a "silvery" streak and a metallic spot where they were tested. Stony meteorites may leave a black or very dark streak but never be magnetic. The previous answer suggesting magnetite is by far the most likely and that is definitely terrestrial
2007-02-15 08:06:51 · answer #2 · answered by U.K.Export 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meteorite is a meteor made of rock and different kinds of metal that breaks through the earth's atmosphere and actually strikes the earth's surface. A meteoroid is a piece of cosmic debris that is still in space. It becomes a meteor when it enters the earth's atmosphere, but breaks up (meteor shower). And a meteorite is when it survives the harsh atmosphere of earth and actually strikes the ground
2007-02-15 01:50:46 · answer #3 · answered by Elizabeth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋