The
most commonly asked question we are asked is how do we identify
a meteorite. To answer this what we must do is look at where
a meteorite comes from and the answers become available. Meteorites
are pieces of material that have come from outer space. All
planets collect meteorites due to the gravitational pull and
in most cases these either burn up in the atmosphere or impact
the planet.
The
theory as to the creating of our galaxy is varied but in all
cases planets and suns were formed with huge amounts of free
floating debris that eventual combined to make suns, planets,
asteroid fields and comets. These objects massive to us but
simple specks of dust in the overall scheme of the universe
are always in movement with regular collisions sending fragments
sometimes larger than planets in new directions. These fragments
may travel in a straight line for millions of years or the
may enter a solar system and be captured in a gravitational
field to become a comet or impact into the sun or a plant
sometimes creating new meteorites. Most meteorites when created
are extremely hot and are in a molten state. When they solidify
they form unique crystalline structures in the matrix of the
meteorite hence making them easily identifiable from material
solidified in a gravity influenced environment. These structures
are varied depending on the type of material present in the
meteorite.
Another
method of identifying meteorites is from the presents of unusual
levels of minerals in levels that are not found on this planet
or in the area of discovery. Iron meteorites are often discovered
as iron is not found in its un-oxidized state on the planets
surface. A mass of iron exposed to the atmosphere will become
a pile of rust after a few million years and hence most metal
objects that are not man made on the surface of the planet
could be meteoric. Stone meteorites are very difficult to
identify and are mostly discovered in areas where the natural
stone is different from the meteorite further testing often
identifies the specimen at a later stage. Glass meteorites
are easily distinguished as they tend to partially melt while
entering the atmosphere and form melted patterns when they
re-harden.
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