Jim K Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Hi everyone, For those that don't know me, I live in, and hunt the Park Forest IL strewnfield. I had a very productive weekend by the slim pickin's standards of this strewnfield. FYI = The strewnfield extends to 5 towns, Beecher, Crete, Steger, Park Forest and Olympia Fields. OK, I won't bore you guys with a lot of details but I was hunting in the Park Forest area last weekend and I found this 1.6 gram specimen with some bits of fusion crust. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P7270008.jpg Also this 4.5 gram with some remaining crust. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J.../P7270022-2.jpg Along with those two I recovered 5 more that range from .2 to .4 grams. Notice the teardrop shaped one that's only .2 grams. Maybe it's the only flight oriented PF meteorite ever. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J.../P7270018-2.jpg This one is .3 grams and still has 50% fusion crust. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P7270011.jpg And this little guy, .3 grams still has 90% crust. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P7270015.jpg Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean (N.M.) Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Jim, Nice finds! I like the tear drop shaped one. It is nice when one can hunt for a weekend and find as many meteorites as you have. I would sure like to hunt the IL strewnfield one day. Congrats on your finds. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-Meteorite Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Hey Jim, Good to see that someone is still trying to find a few specimens out there. The Park forest fall is only a few years old. Why do your specimens look so unlike others I've seen? Are you sure they are meteorites? It's hard to tell, but if I were judging by those pictures alone I wouldn't be convinced. Good luck! Ruben Garcia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaimi Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Aloha Dean, Nice finds! What kind of detector were you using? Weather must be nice to allow you to get out for a whole weekend. Here in Vegas we are experiencing some wierd weather, thunderstorms, heat waves, even a little rain to boot. Aloha and be safe out there, Stan aka Kaimi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paseclipse Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hey Jim, it's always hard to tell from pictures but if you file a window in them that will tell the story and let you know you've got a meteorite. Del Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regmaglitch Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hi Jim, Nice Park Forest Score! Thanks for posting the photos, too. Please explain to the guys here, about the magnetic gear that you hunt with and maybe a picture of it, if you've got one. You're really getting good at harvesting the galactic gravel! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basaltgooroo Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 yeah I'm pretty sure park forests wont look fresh... what with all that dryness that IL doesn't have. Congrats on a good hunt =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hey Jim, Good to see that someone is still trying to find a few specimens out there. The Park forest fall is only a few years old. Why do your specimens look so unlike others I've seen? Are you sure they are meteorites? It's hard to tell, but if I were judging by those pictures alone I wouldn't be convinced. Good luck! Ruben Garcia Hi Ruben, I found my first PF meteorite some time ago. I picked it out of a large wild rose bush. At first I didn't think it was a meteorite, but noticed some traces of black on the exterior. It's 4.8 grams, Photo below http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P4190026.jpg I then cut a window with my bench grinder. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P4190042.jpg This is when I almost had a heart attack! It has the dark lithology associated with most of the smaller PF meteorites. I then performed a density test and got a result of 3.27 density. For more info on using density to identify meteorites you can check this site out: http://www.meteorites.wustl.edu/id/density.htm I then returned to were I found it and found another. This one is 8.5 grams and notice the remains of a fusion crust. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P4260002.jpg The density on this one was identicle to the first one. The density of the two that I found last weekend are 3.46 on the 4.5g and 2.66 on the 1.6g specimens, which is consistant with a L5 classification meteorite. Having said all this, I can't be 100% certain that these are PF meteorites without a lab analysis, but that would not be practicle. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hi Jim, Nice Park Forest Score! Thanks for posting the photos, too. Please explain to the guys here, about the magnetic gear that you hunt with and maybe a picture of it, if you've got one. You're really getting good at harvesting the galactic gravel! Ben Hi Ben, here's the info on my homemade meteorite hunting gear. Most areas of the Park Forest strewnfield are to littered with bits of metal to use a metal detector for searching. I put together this magnet device that I've dubbed my "Meteorite Collector". I use it much like you would use a MD, but when you get a hit, instead of an electronic tone, you will hear a "Ding" when the metalic object gets snaped up by one of the magnets. I've kept it light by using thin tubing and aluminum. It weighs about 5lbs, a little more than a MD when all 4 magnets are used, but can be lighter by removing magnets and counterweights. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P4200007.jpg On the busniss end I have four M50 2"round magnets with 190lbs of pull each magnet. It will pull metal objects out of the ground! http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/J...47/P4200004.jpg Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-Meteorite Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Cool stuff Jim! I am shocked that they look so weathered after only 5 or so years ...good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Cool stuff Jim! I am shocked that they look so weathered after only 5 or so years ...good job! Here in the Chicago area we get about three feet of snow each winter along with the rain and freezing rain, plus the high winds. The conditions can be brutal. I envey you guys who hunt the southwest USA. I'm sure you have a much longer hunting window of oportunity than I do here. If the PF meteorite fell in the SW USA five years ago, it probably would look very similar to the way it did the day it fell. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.