jedijackie 0 Posted November 5, 2019 (edited) https://youtu.be/NEdGvdsyxno Found his outside my storage unit laying on the concrete in south Texas. I noticed it was attracted to my magnet stick then I decided To cut a piece off the corner to see what was inside the rock - sorry it’s not a clean smooth cut . I did some research online and saw meteorites visually similar to the rock I have Especially "CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITE" meteorites. if someone here can give me there expertise based on the pictures I posted on wether this rock is a space rock are not I would greatly appreciate it, thanks. Edited November 5, 2019 by jedijackie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,704 Posted November 6, 2019 It is sub metallic iron. An terrestrial mineral. In all probability it is magnetite and will streak with a grey streak. All meteoritic iron is free metallic iron. There is no oxygen in space and all metals are unoxidized. Free metallic iron is shiny metal like the metal a knife is made from. All terrestrial iron is oxidized mineral. It is oxidized because it was formed in an oxygen rich environment. It is easy to prove a stone is terrestrial by the state of the iron... It is always MINERAL and never METAL. Mineral iron can take on different looks. Mainly hematite and magnetite and variations thereof. Hematite streaks with red hues and is very rarely sub-metallic. It is occasionally magnetic. Magnetite is usually magnetic and often sub-metallic. I'm saying you have magnetite and predicting a grey streak. The trick is distinguishing metallic luster from sub-metallic luster. Once you recognize the difference you will be able to eliminate 99% of meteor wrongs with just a glance. Free metallic iron looks just like any smelted metal part. Knife steel for example. Or nuts and bolts. They have a metallic luster. The streak is metallic...meaning little metal shavings. Mineral iron is always oxidized and when sub-metallic can be mistaken for free metal. Sub metallic is darker, has a porous surface and darkens after a short time. It streaks grey. It kinda shines like free metal but when you look close it is not metal. It looks more like graphite or carbon. Hope that helps! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 280 Posted November 6, 2019 Looks like an ordinary piece of basalt to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fuss 37 Posted November 6, 2019 My thinking is a basalt with a higher magnetite content. Try the streak test like Bob suggested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,704 Posted November 6, 2019 Yes, the rock is probably basalt. A dark volcanic. It is very iron rich and could probably be described more specifically. But that was not the question. No matter what the stone is if it sticks to a magnet it contains iron. And the condition of that iron is what proves it to be terrestrial. The fresh face looks like it contains lots of sub metallic iron. That is what is attracting the magnet. I am assuming that magnetism and the "iron flecks" are what led Jackie to post the rock. To be clear my post was not an attempt to identify the rock. It was to differentiate this rock from a meteorite by identifying the MINERAL that was attracting the magnet. And to point out the subtle differences in luster that often are mistaken for "metal flecks" in a meteor wrong. My goal was not rock ID but to point out the differences between mineral iron and metallic iron. I was not identifying the rock as the mineral magnetite. I was pointing out that the presence of magnetite was the reason it was magnetic. And that fact eliminated the possibility of the stone being a meteorite. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
