Large Natural Metal Object, Possible Meteor

[Ameobea]

Date Found: Dec. 30, 2010xxxxxxxx
Location Found: Illinoisxxxxxxxx
Value: Unknownxxxxxxxx
Description: Large, metallic object. Encrusted with mineral deposits of colors ranging form black to gold. Possibly phosphorous, sulphur, tin, iron, gold, silver, I don't know exactly. xxxxxxxx
Detector Used: White's Coinstarxxxxxxxx
Comments: Registered as a strong silver dollar at 6-8+ inches. Dug up in 2-3 easy scoopsxxxxxxxx
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Due to the size limitations of this site, I have posted the images of my find to a personal website. The address is http://www.tempimages.weebly.com/. They are very large images, and can be viewed in their full splendor by clicking on them. I highly recommend doing so.

I believe that it may be a meteor or other natural object. On my first day with the detector in my backyard, I dug this up on my third hole. I also found a light-bulb and a brick. If anyone knows what it is, could they message me back?

I'm sure its not lead, because I tested it with a knife and it was VERY solid. The image with the shiny mark is from my nicking it with my shovel while digging it up. I cleaned it with a plastic brush.

All help would be greatly appreciated, and I'm hoping for the best!

 

[bill-USA]

Not at all sure, but it looks like aluminum slag from a house fire (pot or pan etc) or a campfire where multiple aluminum cans were thrown into the fire.

Check records locally to see if there was a house fire at this location in the past. If so, you might want to physically locate the house boundaries and spend a great deal of time detecting the area. I had a similar situation at a farm I owned. It had had an older log structure burn to the ground many years before I purchased it. Once I found some of this and mentioned the items and ashes, neighbors said," Oh, yeah, there was a house fire there years ago." Maybe your neighbors would know something also.

If not aluminum, best of luck on getting a good evaluation!

Happy New Year!

 

[Ameobea]

That would make a lot of sense. The previous owners of the house used to have lots of fires in the back yard, and this could have been the result. It's depth makes sense, too. Before I got the Coinstar, I used to use a toy metal detector to check around. I found TONS of iron all over, plus some sheet metal and pipes. That was probably form the construction, though.

Anyway, that would make a lot of sense. I'll have to look into it further. I'll ask my neighbors.

Thanks for your help! However, I'm not going to mark it as solved just yet. I'm sort of interested in what other people have to say. Thanks again!

 

[Libralabsoldier]

I likewise have to go with aluminum melt. If it were a meteor, it would be mostly iron composition, and much MUCH deeper. Another indicator of the aluminum nature is the bulbous way that it melts.

But what do I know? I just have a degree in Natural Sciences and mathematics. I am going to be a chemistry and biology teacher.

I am trying to think of a good chemical test to prove it is aluminum that you can do at home, but aluminum is pretty nonreactive, and all you would really end up doing is burning off some of the impurities.

If you want a good second opinion, go to the nearest college with a geology department, and ask them. Geo guys tend to be the most "down to earth" (pun definitely intended) of college professors.

 

[pie4himm]

I had a mineral I acquired at an estate sale and called Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. and talked to a
Tom Plymate
/Head

Department of Geography, Geology, and Planning

Missouri State University..
he suggested talking to Mike Betzen , President of The Geology Club at MSU... I have lost his email address, but plan on driving into the campus to have him take a look at some more unknown minerals/rocks I have...w/o performing chemical tests it is hard to say..have you performed a scratch test and seen what color of streak it is leaving... you can perform a hardness test by scrathing surface with a coin or glass as examples to see if it scratches?

 

[Tuberale]

Just my opinion: not a meteorite (Meteor is a shooting star, once it lands it is called a meteorite).

Is it aluminum? I don't think so.

Need to do a streak test. This might be melted silver. The yellowish inclusions might be something other than silver. Here's a simple test, though. A bunsen burner or alcohol lamp can be made into a small blowtorch by blowing air through a rubber or plastic tube fitted with a small aluminum nozzle. If you put the flame on the yellowish area and you smell sulfur or the rock starts to burn, it probably is sulfur.

Meteorites have little sulfur in them. Meteorite temperatures often exceed 2,000 F, capable of melting iron.

Another clue: many meteorites have either entire brownish crusts that are less than 1mm thick, or are covered in a black glassy crust, similar to weathered obsidian. I don't see that in this stone.

 

[trixie charger]

This is a couple of aluminum cans. Looks very similar.

 

[Libralabsoldier]

That picture Trixie put up is similar to what I have seen before. I have demonstrated to kids how easily aluminum can be melted and cast using a charcoal fire, and how copper only gets a dull red.

 

[Ameobea]

You can see from the image here the streak that came from the shovel when I dug it up. Link: http://tempimages.weebly.com/uploads/5/2/2/4/5224712/2320710.jpg

I looked more into this, and it turns out that the neighbors have never seen the neighbors have anything but barbeques in their backyard, and none of them ever knew of a house fire here.

Where I live used to be cattle grazing land. As far as I know, this is the first house in this location.

Also, it seems a bit too heavy for aluminum. It's very dense, in fact.

As of Trixie's image, mine doesn't have as many nodules, but that may just be because it is smaller.

As for the streak test, what material should be used? I've done some before with ceramic, but I don't know how accurate they are. As for the hardness test, I used all my strength to try to push the tip of my knife into it, and I don't think it even left a mark. I've also heard of the hardness scale, so all you have to do is scratch it with the different materials until it is scratched, right?

As a last request, I'd ask what the hardness scales of silver and aluminum are, maybe nickel, iron, and steel too. That'd give me some reference points.

I can't believe that this was my third hole ever with my first real metal detector. Even if it's only a tin can, that'd still be really cool!

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Libralabsoldier]

You get used to finding whatzit's and can slaw, as well as other lumps of metallic stuff when you do this for a while.

BBQing is a good scenario. All it would take is one round of "beer can chicken" and leave the can in the grill, and you have a lump of melted aluminum.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I skimmed through the replies and have to agree its a small melted blob from a camp fire with some impurities, a very common find. It looks like aluminum but if not, its a pot metal lead zinc alloy maybe. Not meteorite.

When I weld copper pipes with a phosphrus rod or 5% percent silver solder/phos it looks like that, the impurities from the flux. Now that I think about it, it looks just like it. There may be some dirt mixed in.