Mystery rock, is it a meteorite?

RelicPrime113 · Aug 20, 2013

Hey everyone,

I'm a newbie here so please bare with me. I know this question has been asked many times so I truly apologize for a repetitive message regarding meteorites. As you can see, I have always had an interest in Meteorites and as a rock collector it is one of my goals of finding or owning one someday. Since they are more common in the American mid west, I don't know if there are any here in the New England area. Anyway, this rock i found is definitely a strange one to me. I found it on a snowmobile trail that is next to my camp in Grafton County New Hampshire. It came up as coins on the metal detector and had a high pitch tone. Excited, I dug it up and hoped it was an old coin but to my disappointment it turned out to be a rock. A really heavy one too. In fact it really bent the tip of my shovel while trying to dig it out. But just to make sure it wasn't the rock, i swayed my metal detector over it and sure enough it was the rock. Again, it came out as coins and had a high toned pitch which was pretty weird. If it was Iron, wouldnt it come up as iron and have a low tone?

I decided to keep it and brought it home thinking it might be something other than just a normal rock. I am use to finding Iron ore in Massachusetts and this was definately something different but I could be wrong. The Iron Ore I'm use to finding has sharp edges and darker. For a rock this small, about 5 and a half inches long and 4 inches wide, it was pretty heavy for a rock this size. It has a smoothed wedged shape, kind of like a piece of cheese and the top is slanted. The color of it is grey and seems to have some kind of weathered dark tone arround the edges and very shinny black spots. I don't know if they are crystals or not but it definately shimmers when a light source is shining on it. Just for the heck of it, i put one of my neodymium magnets on the rock and it stuck to it really well. In fact, it is not easy to get the magnet off. I weighed it on an old scale and it came up to 7 pounds even though it feels heavier than that. Ive tried finding help online to identify the rock and so far I haven't found any. Any ideas on what it could be? Meteor wrong or meteor right? Either way its still a cool rock. :headbang:

Here are some pictures of it.

TerryC · Aug 22, 2013

Very definite ... maybe. Take it to a local university geology dept. Or, do the O. Richard Norton nickel test as he describes in his GREAT publication called Field guide to meteors and meteorites. Meteorites are as common in the east as they are in the west. They are just easier to find in an arid region because there is less vegetation. TTC

RelicPrime113 · Aug 22, 2013

Thanks for replying, any help is much appreciated. Fall semester is starting soon so maybe I can find someone at my college who can really confirm it. I looked up that book at barns and noble and it has it. Hopefully its at the store.

TerryC · Aug 23, 2013

RelicPrime113 said:
Thanks for replying, any help is much appreciated. Fall semester is starting soon so maybe I can find someone at my college who can really confirm it. I looked up that book at barns and noble and it has it. Hopefully its at the store.

Do one of those"pick up at store" things so you will not be disappointed. I have not yet found my own M .... those buggers are elusive! But I will find one! TTC

DolanDave · Sep 16, 2013

No, sorry does not look like a meteorite. A good ol window , cut a piece off will confirm.
Dave.

Oklahoma Digger · Sep 17, 2013

I have a couple of rocks like that and thought they were meteorites and they weren't. Cement with metal (slag). I would try cut a corner piece off to see the inside.

49r Relics · Sep 18, 2013

Resembles a a type of meteorite called a Diogenite or Eucrite. But the complete lack of fusion crust is concerning. Intrigued by the metal specs uniformly throughout though. Get it looked at by an expert.

Charl · Sep 18, 2013

Sorry, does not look like it's a meteorite. Yes, we have had falls in New England. About the only one you can purchase fragments of is the Weston, Ct. Meteorite, first witnessed fall recorded in the United States in 1807. Here's a 1.5 gm fragment of Weston, showing fusion crust on top edge...

RelicPrime113 · Sep 20, 2013

Thanks for all of your input, it was a confusing specimen. I washed it in water and it is a dark green color and I've also tried the tile trick. It definitely passed it, I'll post pictures soon. How do you cut the rock? I don't have a rock cutter lol but I do have a dremel. It was found near a stream, could the fusion crust have been washed away? It has a rather old feeling to it too.

49r Relics · Sep 23, 2013

RelicPrime113 said:
Thanks for all of your input, it was a confusing specimen. I washed it in water and it is a dark green color and I've also tried the tile trick. It definitely passed it, I'll post pictures soon. How do you cut the rock? I don't have a rock cutter lol but I do have a dremel. It was found near a stream, could the fusion crust have been washed away? It has a rather old feeling to it too.

You can use a tile saw like they sell at your local big box hardware store or rent one from an equipment rental place. Or, use a bench grinder to grind an inspection window into one of the corners. If you do this, please repost pics or email me at [email protected]

You won't be looking for the "Widmenstatten Pattern" as that only occurs in iron meteorites after polishing and acid etching. You will simply be looking for non-terrestrial features such as chondrules and metal flecks that test positive for nickel.

RelicPrime113 · Sep 23, 2013

Here are the pictures as promised. Instead of using a filer, sandpaper came in quite handy. I don't know how effective it was but it seemed to work. I also washed it as well so you can see the color. The spot i rubbed is shinier and shows better when dried though.