Is this a meteorite?

  • #1
EvAngeline
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TL;DR Summary
Hi I've been trying to identify a very heavy , slightly magnetic, but really interesting stone I found during the rainy season last year it seems it had rolled down a steep hill at first sight I thought geode but when I picked it up it was definitely not. I've taken many pictures because it's really my favorite regardless of what it ends up being. I keep reading that meteorites are not round but then when I look at pictures they will show some that are so I am confused but still intrigued by the
Slightly magnetic extremely heavy seems to have a crust has green glass like particles under magnifying glass. Just extremely curious on what it might be?
 

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  • #2
Welcome to PF.

Can you say where this was found (lat/long), and what the terrain looks like there?
 
  • #3
Town of Walsenburg Co right around Pennsylvania Ave somewhere by a steep hill not sure of exact location but I figure it will give you the basic idea of terrain 🤷
 

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  • #4
berkeman said:
Welcome to PF.

Can you say where this was found (lat/long), and what the terrain looks like there?
I posted a picture of the area but not sure on exact location but it was around
 
  • #5
Unfortunately, that looks very much like a weathered corestone from the soil.
When the soil was forming, it was the most solid and chemically resistant part of the rock, so it avoided chemical weathering. I see no indication of it being a meteorite.

It could have reached the surface due to overgrazing and erosion, or due to excavation or road building in the area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spheroidal_weathering

There is also a possibility that it came from the mountains to the west, arriving with the ice during the last glaciation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_erratic
 
  • #6
Thanks everyone I still think it's quite unique regardless of it's composition. Although it would have been really cool if it was from outside of our planet.😉
 
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  • #7
EvAngeline said:
Thanks everyone I still think it's quite unique regardless of it's composition. Although it would have been really cool if it was from outside of our planet.😉
@davenn FHR
 
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  • #8
EvAngeline said:
TL;DR Summary: Hi I've been trying to identify a slightly magnetic extremely heavy seems to have a crust has green glass like particles under magnifying glass. Just extremely curious on what it might be?

Hi EvAngeline
I have been collecting meteorites for over 30 years and have over 400 meteorites in my collection, I am pretty confident in saying that it's a very weathered Earth rock. Can't quite make out what, tho. A clean-cut surface would be good in helping to identify it.

Many Earth rocks will also be attracted to a magnet and the varying densities because of different compositions will result in rocks that are quite light eg volcanic pumice through to others that are quite heavy for their size eg scheelite which is an ore of tungsten. So magnetic attraction and weight are not always a good indicator of if a rock is a meteorite or not.

I dont see any evidence of a fusion crust on the rock(s). Even meteorites that have been on Earth for upwards of 1000 years can still have a reasonable fusion crust, even if it's weathered a lot from its original black to a pale brown. If you ever think you have a rock with a fusion crust, the big test is to see how thick that crust is.
Fusion crusts are VERY thin, usually 1mm or less thick and they have a sharp cutoff on the inside, whereas a weathering rind is much thicker and gradually decreases with depth into the rock. eg .....

A meteorite fusion crust. see how thin it is .....

1731919525711.png


A weathering rind ......

1731919804958.png


quite a noticeable difference between the two :smile:


If you have any other questions, please ask :smile:

cheers
Dave
 
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  • #9
Just fyi for OP, I have granite specimens that will “pick up” neodymium magnets. In particular, the granite in my countertop does this.
 
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