gary charlton Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) Hi I'm new here . I wrote up this really cool intro and when I attached these photos and posted it the really cool intro was completely covered by the photos. Since I am a hunt and peck one finger typist I said forget the intro. I found this rock in Oklahoma and am trying to see if it is a meteorite. I have spent a lot of hours reading and going through photos on meteorites which means I know very little about them so now I am turning this loose on you all and wait for your input. My belief is that this is a lunar meteorite but we can discuss that later thanks. Edited May 10, 2018 by gary charlton pictures imposed over text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary charlton Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 This is why I am looking into the possibility of this being a lunar meteorite. I read through the various sites with different steps to help identify a meteorite. This rock is not magnetic and does not attract a magnet. Information I found stated that lunar meteorites have little to no metal and will not attract a magnet. Part of this rock is glossy and smooth that when looked at from the side, it appears to have a crust. Other information says that the exterior of a lunar meteorite will have a crust. This smooth part does not cover the entire rock it appears to be a chunk of a larger rock. When I scratch it on the back side of my toilet lid it leaves no marks. I know that these few things don't make it a meteorite but does make it worth looking into. I found this here in Oklahoma in a field that I have been driving over the past 5 years. The grass in this area is a very thick Bermuda except where I have been driving, there it is just dirt. I* just recently noticed that after a good rain these small rocks appearing and started picking them up because I noticed that some of them have what appear to be fossils embedded in them. Then last week when I was picking up some rocks that washed through the dirt I came across one the I couldn't just pull up with my fingers and had to get something to dig it out with. This rock is about the size of a mans fist and looks like it is broken off from a larger rock. The next good rain I am going to keep my eyes open to see if any others pop up. This rock is not like any rock I've ever seen in Oklahoma, Any way I look forward to any discussion about what it may or may not be. I believe my next step will be to cut a sample of it and have it tested. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Just from reading your post and looking at the photos, I'd say it's not even a meteorite, much less a lunar meteorite. I can't say exactly what it is but if you've never seen anything like it in Oklahoma, it could have came from up north from a glacier. The odds are substantially against you finding a meteorite in your neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 welcome to the forum... doubtful about non terrestrial ... fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikestang Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I do not see anything in the photos to indicate that it is a meteorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary charlton Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Morlock said: Just from reading your post and looking at the photos, I'd say it's not even a meteorite, much less a lunar meteorite. I can't say exactly what it is but if you've never seen anything like it in Oklahoma, it could have came from up north from a glacier. The odds are substantially against you finding a meteorite in your neighborhood. I have seen a couple photos of claimed lunar meteorites that look very similar to this. The 3 main things that i found while reading how to identify a meteorite was 1. The crust. 2. Scratching on porcelain. 3. No sharp edges or points. I noticed the area that is slick has no sharp edges and is smooth where the other sides have sharp edges and a course finish and looks like it is just a part of a larger rock. Also under the smoother part you can see at it's edges what looks like a thin crust and last when I scratch it on porcelain it leaves no marks. I understand that no lunar meteorites have been found in North America but not fact and the possibility is open. Because of what I read I felt a need to come here and ask some experts. Next thing, this opens up more questions. How does a foreign rock pop up in Oklahoma, if it's from a glacier and been here thousands of years why is only a third of it smooth? The evident crust and smoothness? Will the smooth part and crust form by any other means than extreme heat? These are just more questions as to how why what and where. Plus wishful thinking knowing that a lunar meteorite this size found in the U.S. of A. would be retirement money. But I got a crusted 1/3 rd polished rock from???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billpeters Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) Hey Gary, It certainly is not a meteorite. It looks to be sedimentary with a matrix of pebbles and, possibly, fossil bits. It has no characteristics of a meteorite. That is not crust, but weathering of different parts of a long ago broken rock. All of the interior structure looks terrestrial. FYI: There has never been a lunar meteorite found in North America so far. Here is my weekly post: Take a look at your rock. If it glistens like a crystal structure (ie: quartz) at any point in the rock it can’t be a meteorite. If it has layers, it can’t be a meteorite, it’s sedimentary. If it has small gas bubbles in it, it can’t be a meteorite. It’s basalt. If it is moderately magnetic it is not a meteorite. If there is a thick crust on it, it can’t be a meteorite. File off a corner or cut it. It won’t diminish its value. If there is all bright silvery metal it can’t be a meteorite. If it is all grey metal it can’t be a meteorite. If there is black crust as thin as a fingernail, and crazing on the outside of the rock, it might be a meteorite. If there are small silver specks visible in the filed off section, it might be meteorite. There are billions of magnetic rocks in the US, none of which are meteorites. Anyone can find magnetic earth stones nearly everywhere. Just take a strong magnet and drop it into sand and you will see what I mean. Check our O Richard Norton’s, “Rocks from Space” or visit the Arizona State Un. Meteorite Center or other similar facility. billpeters Edited May 10, 2018 by billpeters 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikestang Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) http://meteorites.wustl.edu/lunar/stones/nwa2995.htm Edited May 10, 2018 by Mikestang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary charlton Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 12 hours ago, billpeters said: Hey Gary, It certainly is not a meteorite. It looks to be sedimentary with a matrix of pebbles and, possibly, fossil bits. It has no characteristics of a meteorite. That is not crust, but weathering of different parts of a long ago broken rock. All of the interior structure looks terrestrial. FYI: There has never been a lunar meteorite found in North America so far. Here is my weekly post: Take a look at your rock. If it glistens like a crystal structure (ie: quartz) at any point in the rock it can’t be a meteorite. If it has layers, it can’t be a meteorite, it’s sedimentary. If it has small gas bubbles in it, it can’t be a meteorite. It’s basalt. If it is moderately magnetic it is not a meteorite. If there is a thick crust on it, it can’t be a meteorite. File off a corner or cut it. It won’t diminish its value. If there is all bright silvery metal it can’t be a meteorite. If it is all grey metal it can’t be a meteorite. If there is black crust as thin as a fingernail, and crazing on the outside of the rock, it might be a meteorite. If there are small silver specks visible in the filed off section, it might be meteorite. There are billions of magnetic rocks in the US, none of which are meteorites. Anyone can find magnetic earth stones nearly everywhere. Just take a strong magnet and drop it into sand and you will see what I mean. Check our O Richard Norton’s, “Rocks from Space” or visit the Arizona State Un. Meteorite Center or other similar facility. billpeters If you will look in my post I said that no lunar meteorites have been found in North America and that I ended my last post with the statement that I have a rock. I also said that your responses led me to more questions, not about meteorites but questions about how this rock ended up under ground in a field in Oklahoma. A rock that I have never seen in Oklahoma anywhere. I am not questioning anyone's expertise here I am just curious now what it actually is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikestang Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 11 hours ago, gary charlton said: but questions about how this rock ended up under ground in a field in Oklahoma. A rock that I have never seen in Oklahoma anywhere. I am not questioning anyone's expertise here I am just curious now what it actually is. As to how it got there, who could say? There's no way to answer that. As to what it is, I would ask a geologist, they could probably help you with that one. There are several rock ID flow charts and things online where you answer yes/no questions and after about 20 of them it tells you what you might have. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmersteve Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 This reminds me of the story of a girl that found an Ammonite fossil in Bend, OR. If you know anything about Bend, it's surrounded by volcanoes and lava flows. Really not possible so someone either dropped it or it came in on a load of dirt from somewhere else. We'll never know https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/21/health/oregon-child-finds-ancient-fossil-trnd/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denneyone Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Rocks go through a life cycle just as a do. Every rock had traveled the world around many times. The're amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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