Help! Is this a meteorite?

[Nikolai De Silva]

Hello, 

I have a Rock, I found just months ago. It looks strange to me, and I don't know what it is. Here are some information about it.

• It isn't magnetic. But is attracted when hanged on a string.
• Has a crust and interior colour is change from out.
• The density is 2.6 g/cm^3. Less dense than iron.

These are some pics. Does anyone know is this a meteorite? 

Hoping for responses!

Nikolai.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Nikolai De Silva

[AKB]

Could this be slag?

https://sites.wustl.edu/meteoritesite/items/slag/

[Nikolai De Silva]

1 minute ago, AKB said:

Could this be slag?

No @AKB, this is not a slag. This is not glassy, this is rocky. Even we have a slag and this is completely different.

[Debo]

Hi Nikolai,

I've a couple of meteorites, I think your rock looks very similar to my first image (Iron Coarse Octahedrite) and also similar to the second (Brecciated Ordinary Chondrite).

Den

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

I read that the University of Peradeniya has a Geology Department. I suggest that, if possible you send the questioned object to them for an assessment. 

[John]

40 minutes ago, Mr H in Yorkshire said:

I read that the University of Peradeniya has a Geology Department. I suggest that, if possible you send the questioned object to them for an assessment. 

I agree. Without getting it tested in an accredited laboratory you will never truly know if the origins are meteoric. The UK Natural History Museum is a great authority but there are others around the world as well.

 

 

[Nikolai De Silva]

6 hours ago, Mr H in Yorkshire said:

University of Peradeniya has a Geology Department. I suggest that, if possible you send the questioned object to them for an assessment

Yes I talked to them, but their amount is unaffordable at now for me. How to identify it at home?

[John]

53 minutes ago, Nikolai De Silva said:

Yes I talked to them, but their amount is unaffordable at now for me. How to identify it at home?

I do not think there is a definitive way to identify a meteorite at home. It can be no more than "suspected" or "possible" unless and until it is analysed by a laboratory.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by John

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

6 hours ago, John said:

I do not think there is a definitive way to identify a meteorite at home

John is right, unless you already have some expertise in mineralogy/meteoritics reliable identification is unlikely, and I say that as someone who actually worked for twenty years at the Natural History Museum in mineralogy, my office was next to the meteorite collection and they had a large number of 'false' meteorites. Your object has some features of a meteorite - the shiny exterior somewhat resembles fusion crust but many minerals have that appearance, notably iron compounds. The density figure you give is lower than most chondrites (range 3.0 to 3.7 g/cm3) and much lower than irons (range 7-8 g/cm3). The object, based on that physical characteristic is not an iron meteorite, and unlikely to be a stony meteorite.  Although it is destructive, you might learn more if you crack it in two and examine its interior structure.

[Nikolai De Silva]

@Mr H in Yorkshire, 

Sorry, I think I've got the density wrong.

Look just is this the way.

• Took a mug with a radius of 3.4cm and filled water up to 5cm (volume 181.58)
• Next, put the rock into the mug. The water rose up to 5.3 cm (volume 192.48)
• Calculated the volume of the rock by taking the volume difference of the above two instances. 
• Volume of the rock =  192.48-181.58 = 10.90
• Mass of the rock (weight) = 33.0
• Density = 33.0÷10.90 = 3.03

Is this the correct way? If so, the density of the rock is 3.03 (not 100% accurate) 

Hoping for a response!

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

Yeah that's the right way. As you say, not 100% accurate. To be exact this is the SPECIFIC GRAVITY, but using water there's practically no difference, other inaccuracies would be greater.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Mr H in Yorkshire