Nugget Shooter Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Hello All, I have found a strange "Rock" and at first wrote it off and set it outside, but now I am thinking I need more opinions before just tossing it in the rock pile. The rust "spots" are all nodules of very magnetic iron and the filed off grey area is not as magnetic. It came from near my home near the Wickenburg Meteorite strewn field and has the same black grey interior, but the Wickenburg has no globs of iron mixed in. Thing is although I thought it likely some weird slag I now find myself curious and seeking a slag or? opinion from you with more knowledge in this area. It weighs just over 10 pounds and is about the size (or a bit larger) of a softball. Iron ore of some sort? Slag? WTF? Meteorite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Yo Billy ...That doesn't look anything like the Wickenburg Meteorite ... Here's a look at some others: Cheers, Unc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzNuggetBob Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Ron I found a verified iron nickel 18 ozer, out by Aguila Az in a throw out pile. and I saw a very brite single fall near congress back in the 90's. but I have to say Bill it looks very terrestrialized. if it is a meteorite its been in the ground a long time imo. but I wouldn't commit it to the rock garden just yet without more testing. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 4 hours ago, AzNuggetBob said: Ron I found a verified iron nickel 18 ozer, out by Aguila Az in a throw out pile. and I saw a very brite single fall near congress back in the 90's. but I have to say Bill it looks very terrestrialized. if it is a meteorite its been in the ground a long time imo. but I wouldn't commit it to the rock garden just yet without more testing. AzNuggetBob I agree. If it was found in an area near a mine, I might lean towards it being man-made. If it was found in the desert far from any mines, I might lean towards it being a meteorite. But regardless, it needs to be checked out further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 looks like a big old chunk of Galena. Bust it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzNuggetBob Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 I dont know about busting it up but I agree about the possibility of galena. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) It sure does not look like a meteorite on the surface but I suppose sooner or later they all stop looking like meteorites. It is not iron ore if those are free iron flecks. It looks pretty dense to be slag. Galena is easily discernable from iron flecks. Under a loupe you can tell a lot more about composition and silica content. That will be a pretty good indicator of how it came to be. Grind a big pretty window and polish the scratches out so you can get a really good look at the matrix. See how hard the metal inclusions are and what the constituents in the matrix are. Look at the weathering process by studying the cortex and comparing it to the interior. Dab a little acid on a spot and blow some oxygen over it and watch the change. Hit it with an XRF gun and see if it has nickel. You can probably tell instinctively if the density is up there in the proper range but if you have exhausted all other tests then get some of that action. Any rock that passes one step is worth taking to the next. Even if it is just for the hell of it. If it passes all of these tests then you will have an earth rock that no one can prove is not a meteorite! I think it will turn out to be an artifact but if it has free metallic iron flecks in it you can't just stop there. Edited July 13, 2018 by Bedrock Bob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 OK guys, thanks for the input and will grind on it some since no one screamed "Stop it is worth millions" I learned my lesson at Gold Basin (bet you too Nugget Bob) throwing away the hundreds of nasty hot rocks that plagued us in the gold nugget patches They turned out to be the Gold Basin Meteorite. Thinking no on Galena and I have found lots of it and this is different (or I haven't seen this type) Back in a few with a window.... Big one like Bedrock Bob asked for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 Very hard and did not like grinding, ground and sanded a bit and I am still confused a bit on actual ID.... BUT.... did a streak test and dark gray/black soooooo terrestrial likely eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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