Meteorite Meteorite's Extensive Study Meteorites in Our Orbit
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Old Woman Meteorite Meteorite's Extensive Study Meteorites In our orbit The Old Woman Meteorite Is the second After nearly two years of local largest meteorite found in the United display, in March of 1978 the A chunk of metal or rock tumbling Old Woman States and weighed 6,070 pounds when through space is a meteoroid. meteorite was shipped to the discovered. It is 38" long, 30" wide and Upon entering the Earth's Meteorite 34" high. It's mostly composed of iron, Smithsonian Institute in Washington atmosphere, the meteoroid contains about 6% nickel and has trace D.C. for further study and exhibition. becomes a meteor as it heats to amounts of cobalt, phosphorus, Scientists removed a section Incandescence due to friction with chromium and sulphur. weighing 942 pounds and closely the Earth's atmosphere as it is Desert information examined it to find out its chemical pulled by gravity. The meteorite was discovered in late brochure makeup, mineral content, and rare 1975 in the southwestern portion of the If the object reaches ground before gas content. Old Woman Mountains. Its' authenticity it completely vaporizes, it becomes was verified by Dr. Roy Clarke of the ' a meteorite. Most meteors never These studies consisted of numerous Smithsonian Institute. reach the Earth's surface and tests preformed by geologists. Such appear as a streak of light in the Removing the Old Woman Meteorite tests include an acid application, night sky as it vaporizes. The from its resting place was difficult specific gravity, hardness, and average meteorite weighs about because of the rugged ground, the extreme heat among others. The five thousandths of an ounce and weight of the meteorite, and the ' are about the size of a grain of summer heat. It took the U.S. Marine sample was also examined under sand. Corps to complete the job. A team from both traditional and electron microscope. the 1st Marine Division Support Group Most meteors you see in the night Needles Field Office climbed up to the site. Using equipment sky are dust size particles of rock lowered to them by helicopter, they The internal structure appears as a left behind by comets that crossed 1303 South U.S. Hwy 95 managed to get cargo netting under the variation between two well known the Earth's path. These fine Needles, CA 92363 meteorite which was then lifted by an ajr types of metallic meteorites that particles are responsible for -crane helicopter from the mountainside were never seen before. These meteor showers we see Phone: (760)326-7000 to a truck staged nearby. studies suggest that this meteorite periodically throughout the year. Fax: (760)326-7099 www.blm.gov/ca/needles The meteorite was placed on display at may be quite rare and one of a kind. Larger meteoroids, like the one BUM buildings and museums through out California. Public interest was high According to Dr. Clarke, Meteorites that became the Old Woman Meteorite, are not remnants of and thousands of people came to see it are the oldest objects available for comets. Instead, they come from Two full-size Old Woman replicas were scientific study and thought to be made one of those replicas is on the Asteroid belt located inn orbit ruminants from the time of our solar between Mars and Jupiter and are Public Lands USA: Use, Share, Appreciate display at the Needles BLM Field Office system's formation. By studying in Needles, California. The original Old fragments resulting from collision meteorites scientists hope to learn with other stellar bodies. Woman Meteorite is on display at the H U.S. Department of the Interior California Desert Information Center more about the origins of the solar Bureau of Land Management located in Barstow, California. system. .