Fell 7:30am, 6-13-98

PV1.jpg 74K View of Metal-vein exposed to atmospheric friction and melting. The sample size of this Portales Valley is 50mm x 50mm x 37mm with a weight of 34.4973 grams. PC2.jpg83K This meteorite may end up being classified as either a silicated or anomalous iron. This meteorite has unusually wide metal-rich veins that show Widmanstatten structure. Because the metal surfaces are unetched, the Widmanstatten pattern was digitally reconstructed and enhanced for your viewing. . PV3.jpg 122K

Juangchenge

(New Fall) Fell 2-15-97

The fall occurred near the town of Heze in the Shandong Province of China. Research of this ordinary chondrite revealed its proper classification to be (H5) group. It's official fall location was Juangchenge, China. So the name of the meteorite is now called the Juangchenge meteorites. The sample size of this particular individual of Juangchenge is 4.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm with a weight of 52.4878 grams. Heze.jpg47K HezeQTVR.mov252K Heze.mov.gif 710K(*Note that the name of the Heze meteorite is now called Juangchenge.)

Chip off of Vesta

Supposed achondrite sample fragment from the asteroid Vesta. The sample is from a fall in 1960 near Millbillillie, Western Australia, Australia.[Stone Meteorite (Achondrite,Eucrite)]. The cut slice is 9.5935 grams. The complete stone sample is 26.7433 grams Millbillillie

This sample was found in the Quaternary alluvium of Dianbai, Guangdon,China. The average chemical composition for this tektite is as follows SiO2 74.956,Al2O3 12.486, (FeO+Fe2O3) 4.346 , CaO 1.934, MgO 1.872, MnO .072, TiO .7, K2O 2.588, and Na2O .806 (sum 99.76).Size of sample is 21mm X 15mm X 12mm. MT1.jpg 63K MT2.jpg 42K MT3.jpg 53K MT4.jpg 56K MT5.jpg 44K

These are photos of a sample of tektite named Indochinite found in Indochina (Kon-Kai district of Thailand). This sample comes from out of my friends own collection of tektites. The tektites shape would be called ellipsoid which is the result from slow to moderate rotation as the blob passes through the Earths atmosphere. The blob of glass, fell as a molten mass, changing its shape due to the rotational speed of the tektite. Indo1.jpg45K Indo2.jpg84K Indo3.jpg42K

In the next couple of photos, are Indochinites with a different type of shape. This shape would be called teardrop (Apioid). This of course is formed directly from very rapid rotation until separation. So the tektite under rapid rotation (Dumb-bells) splits apart to form these samples I've photographed here. After the separation from Dumb-bells,these tektites, shown here, are classed as non-rotating. Sorry that I don't know the district locations on these samples. Indo4e.jpg58K Indo5e.jpg45K

This is a photo of a 159.9 gram sample of Muong Nong Layered Tektite from Ubonrath-Thani, Thailand. This type differs from the normal splash type Indochinites. You can see a layered flowage like effect on this sample. There appears to be very little limonite coating on this fragment. *MN1.jpg 85K

Close up shots of layered flowage matrix. MN2c.jpg90K MN3c.jpg91K MN4c.jpg94K

Old Woman Meteorite is the second largest (6,070 lbs or 2,750 Kg) meteorite found in the United States. I took these photos on my last visit through Barstow,Ca..This is a very impressive Coarsest Iron Octahedrite, (10mm)(IIB). If you would like to view this sample for yourself, you must go to the Calif. Desert Information Center (BLM office) 831 Barstow Road,Barstow,Ca.92311. OWM1.jpg 76K OWM1a.jpg 100K These photos show the cut and polished area on the meteorite. I used a US quarter to set the scale. OWM2.jpg 65K OWM3.jpg 56K