From Philadelphia. How do I get started?

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

Just wondering how I could get started on a hunt for meteorites. I am not expecting to find much, but would like to keep an open eye out while doing other outdoor hobbies.

Do I need to be in a particular location to look for them? I’m by Philadelphia. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Not looking for your hotspots, just friendly advice. Thanks all.

BrettCo

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Start on the Internet. Google, Bing, "Pennsylvania Strewnfields", "Pennsylvania Meteorite falls", and so on.

 

[GopherDaGold]

Here's a tip. You won't find them under tipped over cars or underneath the bodies of lifeless Patriots fans

 

[lawsonland]

Hey,
I'm just outside philly too. Found this https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/09/bright-fireball-over-lancaster-county/

If you ever locate a place and want some company let me know, always wanted to find a meteorite
Jon

 

[BrettCo124]

Start on the Internet. Google, Bing, "Pennsylvania Strewnfields", "Pennsylvania Meteorite falls", and so on.

Thanks Terry. So, can you tell me why a strewn field is important to find? How common is it to successfully locate a meteorite?

For native artifact hunting, I know how to identify places they’ve lived, what they used, where to search, etc... how do you do that with things that fall from space? If I found a strewn field, is that the best bet to find them?

Final question, a few threads down, I posted about my attempts to find micrometeorites. No one has commented just yet, but I’d love feedback on that too, if possible.

Thanks all!

 

[BrettCo124]

Hey,
I'm just outside philly too. Found this https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/09/bright-fireball-over-lancaster-county/

If you ever locate a place and want some company let me know, always wanted to find a meteorite
Jon

Thanks Jon. I wouldn’t even know where to begin lol. Working on that now.

 

[BigWaveDave]

While I can’t help you find any meteorites.... I can say Congrats to you and your Eagles.

 

[BrettCo124]

While I can’t help you find any meteorites.... I can say Congrats to you and your Eagles.

Lol thank you. We’ve waited a long time for it. 2 million people will be in our city tomorrow morning.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Thanks Terry. So, can you tell me why a strewn field is important to find? How common is it to successfully locate a meteorite?

For native artifact hunting, I know how to identify places they’ve lived, what they used, where to search, etc... how do you do that with things that fall from space? If I found a strewn field, is that the best bet to find them?

Final question, a few threads down, I posted about my attempts to find micrometeorites. No one has commented just yet, but I’d love feedback on that too, if possible.

Thanks all!

When a larger meteor enters the atmosphere it usually explodes or breaks into small pieces. These pieces, or meteorites, are strewn across a wide area, known as a "strewnfield." The "Gold Basin Meteorite," left a strewnfield covering over 200-kilometers. Gold Basin meteorite strewn field, Mojave Desert, northwestern Arizona: Relic of a small late Pleistocene impact event - KRING - 2010 - Meteoritics & Planetary Science - Wiley Online Library

Here are a few of the Gold Basin meteorites I've recovered.

 

[BrettCo124]

When a larger meteor enters the atmosphere it usually explodes or breaks into small pieces. These pieces, or meteorites, are strewn across a wide area, known as a "strewnfield." The "Gold Basin Meteorite," left a strewnfield covering over 200-kilometers. Gold Basin meteorite strewn field, Mojave Desert, northwestern Arizona: Relic of a small late Pleistocene impact event - KRING - 2010 - Meteoritics & Planetary Science - Wiley Online Library

Here are a few of the Gold Basin meteorites I've recovered.

That’s incredible. Those are some great finds. And you think I can find them here in the suburbs of Philadelphia if I find strewnfields? I’m going to google it to see.

 

[BrettCo124]

Nothing pops up when I type in strewnfield and my location. Is it rare to find one?

 

[hvacker]

To find a meteorite you have to like traveling. Meteorites have been falling on the Earth as long as the Earth has been. But meteorites, like gold, are where you find them. Usually I'd go where others have found them. A known strewnfield is the most likely place. There is such a thing as stumbling on one but don't bet on it. They are unpredictable in every way.
The first find in the Glorieta fall in New Mexico was found by a woman farmer in 1896 there abouts. She saw a black rock that was unusually heavy for it's size. Then others were found that developed a line of sight of probability of where more might be. They travel in a straight line downwards. The strewnfield can be quite wide when it falls apart. It's said the Glorieta fall was 1/4 mile wide. So that's where I go. Or did before I got hobbled.
Most are almost all iron so won't last long where air can get to them. If the plunge deep enough into the Earth they have a better chance. Also the higher amount of nickel can give them a stainless steel composition. A tad more resistant to rusting.
Have fun

 

[BrettCo124]

To find a meteorite you have to like traveling. Meteorites have been falling on the Earth as long as the Earth has been. But meteorites, like gold, are where you find them. Usually I'd go where others have found them. A known strewnfield is the most likely place. There is such a thing as stumbling on one but don't bet on it. They are unpredictable in every way.
The first find in the Glorieta fall in New Mexico was found by a woman farmer in 1896 there abouts. She saw a black rock that was unusually heavy for it's size. Then others were found that developed a line of sight of probability of where more might be. They travel in a straight line downwards. The strewnfield can be quite wide when it falls apart. It's said the Glorieta fall was 1/4 mile wide. So that's where I go. Or did before I got hobbled.
Most are almost all iron so won't last long where air can get to them. If the plunge deep enough into the Earth they have a better chance. Also the higher amount of nickel can give them a stainless steel composition. A tad more resistant to rusting.
Have fun

That’s so interesting. I’ll need to do more research around me. What do you think about the rooftop micrometeorites? I know they are so insanely small, but could it be possible that the downspouts contain larger meteorites after years and years of the house being there and the rain spouts being in the same location for all of those years?

 

[hvacker]

I first read about rooftop meteorites here on Treasurnet. I've never found one even though I have a white rubber roof. Maybe I have to look harder.
Here is just one of many sites to keep you up at night.

Meteorite Identification - The Meteorite Exchange, Inc.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Here's an interactive map of the known Meteorite falls in the US.

Zoom in by drawing a box around the area you are interested in.

Click on the tool and then click on the symbols on the map to get details about each fall.

 

[Charl]

To the best of my knowledge, only 8 recorded finds or falls from Pa:

The Latest Worldwide Meteor/Meteorite News: Meteorites Found in Pennsylvania, USA Map

https://archive.org/stream/meteoritesfoundi00ston_0/meteoritesfoundi00ston_0_djvu.txt

Best places in the US would be Az desert, like Gold Basin, and dry lake beds in Nevada and California.

Be pretty damn tough in Pa., due to the type of terrain, etc, far from ideal....