Index to Resources

Meteorites of North Carolina

Asteroid 113355 "Gessler"
(image is of Ida)

Chelyabinsk Fireball
2/15/2013

January 14

INTRODUCTIONS

Who are we? Why are we here? What do we wish to accomplish? 

Meteoroids, meteors and meteorites.
Though all I knew of the rote universe were those Pleiades loosed in December
I promised you I‘d set them to verse so I'd always remember

That the meteoroid is a source of the light
And the meteor's just what we see
And the meteorite is a stone that's devoid of the fire that propelled it to thee

And the meteoroid’s just what causes the light
And the meteor's how it's perceived
And the meteorite’s a bone thrown from the void that lies quiet in offering to thee

"Corrected" from Joanna Newsom’s, “Emily” (2006)

Falls and finds.
Classification and origin.

PowerPoint Introduction. 

Recognizing a meteorite. A hands-on examination of a variety of specimens.
In-class and take-home exercise: Look them up on the Internet. What is their significance? Take notes on the distinctive characteristics of each of the specimens displayed. Fusion crust, metal content, etc.

For next week:
Begin your research with the Meteoritical Bulletin Database and then expand it with searches on eBay and the Internet. Look not only for scientific information but cultural information such as history, politics andavailability and price in the marketplace.
a) Meteorites of North Carolina.  A history of the 29 reported specimens.
Why have no meteorites been reported in NC for 80 years? Suppose that we want to be the first to report a meteorite from North Carolina in almost a century. Sign up for one of the 29 NC meteorites. Research it and collect ALL the historic and current references and photos you can find. If there is next to nothing known about it, report on another nearby meteorite in Virginia or South Carolina. How would you go about finding additional fragments of that meteorite? Be specific. How would you go about finding a new meteorite that is not related to any of the previously known meteorites? Be specific.
b) Eleven meteorites from our collection. Pick any six different meteorites from those that were on exhibit in our first meeting. Write a short synopsis of each of them to include relevant scientific and cultural information.
Upload all this information (images, .docs, .txts, .pdfs, etc.) to SAKAI Forums.

North Carolina Falls and finds.

January 21

Any volunteers for
RALEIGH MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES "ASTRONOMY DAYS?"
Announcement #1 and Announcement #2. It's the weekend of Saturday, Jan 24, 9am-5pm and Sunday, Jan 25, noon-5pm.
Come one day or both. Help set up and break down, talk to the visitors, take candid video and visit the other exhibits. Check in at the loading dock located at 100 N. Salisbury Street. If you enter the front doors the check in loading area is at the left rear. We especially need a good cinematographer.

Presentations on the Meteorites of North Carolina.  Referencing the Meteoritical Bulletin Database and beyond. Your detailed presentations on each of the 29 known meteorites from this state. Tell us about the history of each meteorite, its analysis, where samples are located, what the market is and what our chances are of finding any more of it, given what you know about its history and the current uses of the land.

What can we say about the distribution of meteorites, how they they were found and the prospects of making a new find after 80 yers of inactivity?

~~~~~ break ~~~~~

Presentations on Eleven Meteorites from Our Collection.
A macro look at rocks from space. What can you deduce about their classification, weathering, ablation features, scientific, historis, aesthetic and economic values?

Readings for next meeting:
Meteorites of North Carolina (SAKAI Resources).
Meteorites / Meteoriten, pages 84-165 (Text).

Macro Descriptions of Various Meteorites

TENTATIVE:

January 28

NC METEORITES
Patterns in the data:
Almost ALL FINDS are IRONS.
Almost ALL FALLS are STONY.
Conclusion: Although STONY meteorites are 20x more common, virtually no one recognizes them as meteorites/
Market:
ALL 29 NC meteorites are "historically collectable" and few large specimens are in public hands. Many are priced in $100s per gram.

CHELYABINSK
Dash-Cam, Security-Cam and CamCorder footage bring to life written accounts from the past. A selection has been uploaded to the Web:
https://web.duke.edu/isis/gessler/meteorites/references/chelyabinsk-videos/index.htm
An ID and PASSWORD has been emailed to you.
The videos have been numbered for reference.

FOR FEBRUARY 11: CHELYABINSK VIDEOS
Since we do not know the latitude, longitude and azimuth each camera was facing, we can't triangulate the trajectory. However, we do see the fireball grow and break apart from many vantage points and we have the sound. What can we tell about the breakup of the meteoroid? If anyone has access to software that can plot the sound amplitude over time it would be interesting to compare the sounds from several videos and correlate them with the pattern of fireball brightness that we see. How do people, dogs, cats react to the fireball? How do they react to the shockwave? What other interactions do we see between the light and the shockwave and cameras, eyes and Tother objects in the scene? What is going on in various individuals' minds? If you have access to someone who understands Russian, what are people saying? Please provide me with your insights on EACH of the videos. Upload your results to SAKAI.

Chelyabinsk. The cultural / scientific significance of the event (2/15/2013).
The end of the story first: Euronews, recovering the main mass from Lake Chebarkul (2 min)."Russian Meteor Strike, 2013," a report from the Science Channel (47 min).

For Next Week. The cultural/scientific significance of the recent "Sutters’ Mill" meteor. Sutter's Mill began the California gold rush, a fever that was rekindled anew by this event on April 22, 2012. How did that coincidence shape the news and popular media coverage, the search methods and technologies by JPL, dealers, locals and collectors, the politics, market, conflicts and the legislation that ensued, the classification and scientific significance of the meteorite and its disposition.

February 4

Instructor will be in Tucson.
Host: Sophia Durand

Screening DVD: PBS NOVA METEORITE STRIKE (2013) 52 minutes. An introduction to meteoritics with emphasis on the 2012 Chelyabinsk, Russia meteor event.

Screening: JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE, an Epic Story of Cosmic, Earth and Human Transformation (2012) 57 minutes. Written and narrrated by evolutionary philosopher Brian Swimme. Swimme repeatedly draws on complexity science, self organization and emergence to weave an explanation of the ongoing evolution of everything. Although teleology plays into his narrative he nonetheless raises important issues, not the least of which is the notion of active process, that at all levels of scale, "from quark to quasar," in some sense Darwin's and Wallace's mechanisms of natural selection are in continual motion pruning variation to maximizing survival.
(Harold Morowitz tells a similar story, with more emphasis on computational complexity, in THE EMERGENCE OF EVERYTHING: HOW THE WORLD BECAME COMPLEX, Oxford (2004).

FOR FEBRUARY 11: CHELYABINSK DOCUMENTARY and IVANOVA POWERPOINT
I will upload Marina Ivanova's PowerPoint presentation on Chelyabinsk that she delivered to the Meteoritical Society in 2013 at Edmonton, Alberta. Please step through it and work throuh her presentation. Note that there are a fw BLACK slides in her presentation. They once contained video but we've never gotten the video to work on US machines. Please make sure that you step PAST the BLACK slides to the remainder of the slides in her presentation. Compare and contrast her presentation with that of the PBS NOVA documentary. Upload your results to SAKAI.

February 11

THE METEORITE MARKET - TUCSON 2015. Last year a French TV team interviewed two of the leading meteorite dealers, Bob Haag and Mike Farmer (interview 15 min). This year, I'll show you some photographs of what is the largest meeorite (rock, fossil, mineral and gem) show in the world, focusing on Marvin Kilgore's Southwest Meteorite Laboratory and some of the dealers who have travelled from Morocco, the nation exporting the most meteorites from the North West African (hence NWA) Sahara and Africa. PowerPoint on SAKAI.

Carbonaceous Chondrites: Planetary Meteorites by Norbert Classen.

Rumuruti and Enstatite Chondrites, Metachondrites: Northern Arizona Meteorite Laboratory by T.E. Bunch and J.H. Wittke.

Fosterite, Kakangari and Rumuruti Chondrites: Astronomical Research Network by Kenneth Regelman.

CHONDRITE CHARACTERIZATION.  I will reiew the eleven (11) charts of chondrite data (located on our private "Meteoritics References" link) and then pass around specimens which I'd like you to examine closely with a loupe (I will pass out loupes and show you how to use them). Compare the actual specimens that you see with the photos and descriptions in your text. It is sometimes difficult to identify meteorites without laboratory testing, but it is necessary to try. Take notes on the classification, equilibation, weathering, shock, flight markings fusion crust and details of the clasts and inclusions. Are the chondrules round or squashed, are they barred olivine, radial pyroxens or porphoritic. Some types may be recognized by their fusion crust, by their broken faces or by a "window" ground into them. With some meteorites, only a thin section will enable you to identify what type they are. But even with a thin section identifications may be elusive and may require a microprobe for more detailed analysis. Exams in this course will require you to identify actual stones with loupes and relate to what you see. We want you to be able to recognize specimens as meteorites or "meteor-wrongs," and if they are meteorites, to be able to characterize them. Please rewrite your characterization notes in Word and turn them in on SAKAI.

PowerPoints will be posted to SAKAI / Resources.

FOR FEBRUARY 18: The Chondrite Market: Your text outlines the major types of chondrites. Please search eBay and the Web to get current prices on each of those types (in $ per gram). You will note that falls command higher prices than finds, unweathered than weathered, storied than unstoried and rare than common. Check the prices for several of each type (to eliminate sampling error) and provide a table of prices to summarize your research. How were the meteorites acquired? Provide the URLs for the sites you quote.

February 18

ACHONDRITE CHARACTERIZATION.  I will pass around specimens which I'd like you to examine closely with a loupe (I will pass out loupes and show you how to use them). Compare the actual specimens that you see with the photos and descriptions in your text. It is sometimes difficult to identify meteorites without laboratory testing, but it is necessary to try. Take notes on the classification, weathering, shock, flight markings fusion crust and details of the clasts and inclusions. Are the clasts rounded, angular or squashed? Are they of different or of the same composition and shape? Some types may be recognized by their fusion crust, by their broken faces or by a "window" ground into them. With some meteorites, only a thin section will enable you to identify what type they are. But even with a thin section identifications may be elusive and may require a microprobe for more detailed analysis. Exams in this course will require you to identify actual stones with loupes and relate to what you see. We want you to be able to recognize specimens as meteorites or "meteor-wrongs," and if they are meteorites, to be able to characterize them. Please rewrite your characterization notes in Word and turn them in on paper.

FOR FEBRUARY 25: The Achondrite Market: Your text outlines the major types of achondrites. Please search eBay and the Web to get current prices on each of those types (in $ per gram). You will note that falls command higher prices than finds, unweathered than weathered, storied than unstoried and rare than common. Check the prices for several of each type (to eliminate sampling error) and provide a table of prices to summarize your research. How were the meteorites acquired? Provide the URLs for the sites you quote.

FOR FEBRUARY 25: Duke Buys a Meteorite: Write a detailed commentary and critique (market up line by line if appropriate) of this URL:
http://ncmeteorites.blogspot.com/

February 25

Class begins at 11:00

IRON AND STONY IRON CHARACTERIZATION.  We will circulate specimens which I'd like you to draw and examine on a macro scale and micro scale closely with a loupe (I will pass out loupes and show you how to use them). Compare the actual specimens that you see with the photos and descriptions in your text and online. It is sometimes difficult to identify meteorites without laboratory testing, but it is necessary to try. Take notes on the classification, weathering, shock, flight markings fusion crust and especially details of the clasts, inclusions and crystalline patterns. Types may be recognized by their outer surfaces, by their broken faces or by a "window" ground into them. With iron meteorites, a polished and acid etched mount will enable identification. But even a polished and etched mount may be elusive and may require a microprobe for more detailed analysis. Exams in this course will require you to identify actual stones with loupes and relate to what you see. We want you to be able to recognize specimens as meteorites or "meteor-wrongs," and if they are meteorites, to be able to characterize them. Please make detailed drawings of characteristic features, include them with your characterization notes in Word and turn them in on paper.

FOR MARCH 4:
Read Alan Rubin's "Secrets of Primitive Meteorites."
Read James Ashley's "Exogenic Rocks on Mars."
Study METEORITES/METEORITEN on the groups, classes and characterizations of meteorites.
Study tables and diagrams on our METEORITICS REFERENCES password protected page on our website.You may find this useful: Wikipedia Glossary of Meteoritics

March 4

Midterm Exam
Will include readings, discussions, assignments, homework and activities in class.

During the Break:
Look for meteorites if you find yourself in the desert.
Think about what you'd like to investigate as a course project.
Prepare a short synopsis of ideas (to turn in, on paper, when we reconvene).

After the Break:
Turn in your synopsis.
We'll delve more deeply into technical topics and the history of meteoritics.

March 7-15 / SPRING BREAK

March 18

Solar System resonances.  How the influence of multiple massive objects affects their orbits.  Modeling the resonances of moons, Kirkwood Gaps, Trojan asteroids and ring structures.  Hands-on experimentation with a complex systems multiagent model.

Flocking 32. The simulation, "flocking32.exe" is located here. Open the file you saved and track each of the 300 asteroid (agent) orbits. Most will be off screen or within the orbit of Mars. If there are some unusual orbits between Mars and Jupiter please "screen grab" them noting their "tag" (identification number). Do a screen grab for each of the moons captured by Jupiter noting each one's tag. If you capture any moons of Mars or any Trojans document them as well. An example of documenting moons is shown in the second image down. An example of how you might analyze the data you have gathered is here (orbits.doc). Remember, this is an exploratory experiment. We don't know what you will see.

Panspermia and “swapping rocks.”  Modeling the paths of asteroids and debris freed from parent bodies by collisions take to reach the Earth and other planets.  Hands-on experimentation with a complex systems multiagent model.

"Swapping rocks: The transfer of ejecta between the planets.”  VHS (72m).

March 25

Swapping Rocks.
Please read Brett Gladman's articles on SAKAI Resources and draft a critical review...

April 1

Impact Craters:
Please visit the Earth Impact Database
http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/index.html

Pick four craters from the Earth Impact Database. Take note their sizes, images and scientific studies.references.
Find each crater on GoogleEarth:
Zoom in to capture the crater and about 30% of its surroundings on full screen.
Pressing Alt-PrntScr will capture your display image to the ClipBoard from which you can paste it into PhotoShop.
In two separate steps, capture two images of the crater, one by moving it to the left side of the screen and one to the right side. Make sure that "tilt" is reset to "none," that North is still precisely pointing "up," and that you have moved the image to the left and right without moving it even the slightest degree up or down (use the arrow keys).
Crop those images in PhotoShop, adjust their "levels" for good contrast, copy the Red Channel of the left-eye image (that was on the right edge of the screen) to the Red Channel of the right-image (that was on the left edge of the screen). You now have a color anaglyphic stereo image of the crater. Make sure that a feature at the center of both images align. If the 3d effect is inverted, make a new anaglyph in the opposite manner. With red/cyan glasses take note of the cross-section of the crater and the diagnostic features that distinguish it from a volcanic crater. In the publications referenced, copy an image of the cross section of the crater.
For each crater:
burn the the left image, the right image and the anaglyph as well as the cross-section onto a CD.

April 8

Crater Anaglyphs:
Please turn in CD.

Oxygen Isotopes:
Please turn in critical review of Krot, Yorimoto and Franchi articles on SAKAI Resources.

New Resources on SAKAI:
Blood, Michael METEORITE MARKET TRENDS
Marvin, Ursula CHLADNI AND THE ORIGINS OF MODERN METEORITE RESEARCH
Marvin, Ursula THE METEORITICAL SOCIETY: 1933-1993
Grady, Monica ATLAS OF METEORITES (text only, no plates)
(Plates without descriptions available at Cambridge University Press.)

Sign up in teams of two to present on Monica Grady's ATLAS OF METEORITES:
Sign up, as a team of two, for a 20 minute presentation (use PowerPoint or an equivalent) on one of the chapter groupings indicated.  Presenters, imagine that you’re giving a paper at a conference.  Audience, ask questions and take notes.

Asteroids: Deadly Impact:
VHS version screening today. Also available (with advertiements) online at SnagFilms.

April 15

Course Comprehensive Paper replaces the "Final Exam."

The text portion of Grady's ATLAS OF METEORITES comprises less than 130 pages. Over the next weeks and for the course comprehensive paper, please read those pages and take notes. Please take notes also during the various team's reviews of the chapters. Next year's course will be built around these chapters, but since they were not available for this year's course it will be difficult to digest this material since it came so late in the semester. Nevertheless, see what you can glean from the material in preparation for the course comprehensive paper.

Participant presentations.
Monica Grady's ATLAS OF METEORITES:_____________________________________________________________________________
1 Introduction
Danielle Lefland, Celine Boutier, Malena Price
_____________________________________________________________________________
2 Carbonaceous chondrites
Chirs Monti, Ryan Yoon
_____________________________________________________________________________
3 Ordinary chondrites
Timo Santala, Patrick Cowley, Mark Ong
_____________________________________________________________________________
4 Enstatite chondrites & 5 Rumururtiite and Kakangari-type chondrites
Chris Williams, Eugene Chung
_____________________________________________________________________________
6 Acapulcoites and Lodranites & 7 Brachinites
Eric Jiang, Spencer Carr
_____________________________________________________________________________
8 Winonaite-IAB-IIICD clan & 9 Ureilites
Jeff Day, Curtis Oh
_____________________________________________________________________________

April 22

Participant presentations.
Monica Grady's ATLAS OF METEORITES:  ____________________________________________________________________________
10 Angrites & 11 Aurbrites
Tashin Zaman, Howard Chung
_____________________________________________________________________________
12 Howardite-eucrite-diogenite clan
Alyssa Henline
_____________________________________________________________________________
13 Mesosiderites & 14 PallasitesGlade Inhofe,
_____________________________________________________________________________
15 Iron meteorites
Avery Morton, Sean Kelly
_____________________________________________________________________________
16 Lunar meteorites
Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson
_____________________________________________________________________________
17 Martian meteorites
Bruno Semenzato, Nico Alvarez, Jason Tahir
_____________________________________________________________________________

Course research papers due today!

Topic for Course Comprehensive Paper will be uploaded Today by 2:30 p.m. (based upon Grady's chapters)
DON'T FORGET TO PRESS "REFRESH."

WHAT, AND HOW, DO EACH OF THE GROUPS OF METEORITES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT COMPONENTS, INFORM US OF THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM? Grady often says, "this is not well understood." As a consequence I do not expect you to solve all the partial understandings. Rather, I expect you to make an attempt to bring this material together into a comprehensive and coherent assessment of the current state of meteoritical research. Note that both when (time) and where (distance from the Sun) may be relevant. Please make sure that you define all technical terms and abbreviations, preferably in a glossary or appendix along with any charts, tables and diagrams that you may have created.

3-5 pages of text (exclusive of any tables, charts, diagrams, etc.), single-spaced, on paper only.
Turn this in to the bottom drawer, inside the double doors, beneath the podium of Classroom 6.

Have a great summer...

Tuesday, 28 April
Course Comprehensive Paper Due Today (no extensions!)

29 April NO FINAL EXAM

!!! Have a Great Summer / Find Lots of Meteorites !!!