The Bruderheim Meteorite-Fall and Recovery Published in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vol

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Bruderheim, Canada Bruderheim. Timing is Everything. by Martin Horejsi

Updated: Martin Horejsi's Meteorite Books Website

A March 1960 Witnessed Fall: Bruderheim, Canada Bruderheim. Timing is Everything.

A rolling landscape of fresh fusion crust blankets this 72% complete stone of Bruderheim. Falling nearly vertically onto a frozen, snow covered land, many individuals of Bruderheim retained their crust intact.

Over the past couple decades that I have been collecting meteorites, I've had several representatives of Bruderheim in my collection. But when the opportunity to trade for the specimen pictured above, I jumped at the chance.

According to Folinsbee, R. E. & Bayrock, L. A. in an article titled The Bruderheim Meteorite-Fall and Recovery published in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vol. 55, a wonderful slice of recent meteorite history is chronicled. This months installment will feature excerpts from the article with author commentary within the captions of the photographs and graphics.

Bruderheim, a gray chondritic meteorite which fell on March 4, 1960, at 1 :06 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, is, in aggregate weight (over 300 kilograms), Canada's largest known meteorite (Millman 1953). By strange coincidence the bolide detonated halfway between the point where the Edmonton meteorite was found, and the Abee meteorite fell.

At 1 :06 in the morning the late show on television had just finished, a factor adding substantially to the number of eye witness accounts. Bruderheim is a typical evening meteorite, solving the entry problem' by reason of its relatively low atmospheric velocity.

If this were a piece of pottery entered in an art contest, it would no doubt lose. And with good reason. But since it is a meteorite sculpted by atmospheric forces, it is truly a work of art.

The pockets of superheated surface captured perfectly the events taking place on this meteorite's surface as it fell. Given that many reports claim that freshly fallen meteorites were warm or even too hot to touch immediately after they fell, I would have hoped that studious observers of such things would have provided commentary about the immediate physical situation in which the found stone was nested.

photo courtesy of: http://www.meteoritecollector.org/

Earl Milton, past president of the Edmonton Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, was instrumental in alerting the public through the media of press, radio and television, to the possibility that a meteorite fell from the bright detonating bolide.

He obtained eye witness reports that narrowed down the possible fall area. Stanley Walker and Tyrone Balacko of Fort Saskatchewan, following a lead given by recovery of a single fragment, mapped the principal fall area in outline, and recovered about 75 kilograms of meteorite in the two days immediately after the fall. Heavy snow then fell, and no further recoveries were made till spring. This old photo shows the range of sizes of Bruderheim individuals. Two individuals were more than 30kg with another four between 20-30kg , and another four between 10 and 20 kg. Additionally another 500 individuals smaller than 100g each were collected.

The Bruderheim bolide was probably first observed by Alexis Simon, an Indian of the Paul's Band Indian Reserve at Duffield, Alberta. His account is as follows: On the night [sic] of Friday, March 4th, 1960, I happened to be outside of my home at midnight when I saw a large meteorite in the north-westerly direction from Duffield. It lighted up the sky as it passed swiftly in a north-easterly direction, giving off what appeared to be flashes of fire.

He describes also a rushing sound, resembling a high wind, which lasted for 5 to 6 seconds after the fireball passed, a phenomenon distinct from the shock-wave detonations accompanying meteorites, and characteristic of reports of fireballs (Smith and Hey 1952). It may be primarily due to suggestion, without real existence (Heard 1949). One of the larger individuals of Bruderheim was measured, then broken to pieces. As demonstrated in the picture above, examination could be painful.

I suspect that if one staged a similar photo today, it would be treated as either a joke or meteoritical blasphemy.

It is interesting to speculate that the more acute senses of Alexis Simon enabled him to observe the meteorite during the time when it first was entering the atmosphere, and to note a sound phenomenon not recorded by other observers whose vision and hearing, dimmed and dulled by television, were quickened only by the bright glare of the fireball lower in the atmosphere, and shaken by the sonic boom at detonation point. However, more prosaically, there was considerable patchy overcast in the Edmonton area, and at Newbrook, though the all-sky camera was on and recorded the general brightening brought about by the bolide at 1:06 a.m., the meteor cameras were not operating (Jack Grant, Newbrook, personal communication).

Mrs. P. I. B. Wood of Carvel observed the fireball from point of detonation to disappearance, as did a number of observers from the slightly overcast city of Edmonton. The most accurate observations of which the writers have record were made from Edmonton by D. B. Russell, a student at the University of Alberta, and from Beverly by M. Reis at the Texaco Oil Refinery. Cross sighting was made by S. E. J. Mitchell of Clyde and by a number of observers near Egremont and in Fort Saskatchewan (Miller 1960). This strewnfield map show the distribution of Bruderheim individuals.

Connecting the dots, I'd guess that a couple of stones of size landed in the river. Further, looking at the density of specimens across this large expanse of land, I would not be surprised if more modern methods of searching were employed, many more, albeit weathered, specimens would be found.

Hey Meteorite Men! You guys listening?

Some of the sighting and sound data from the Egremont district suggested a fall area north- east of this village: flash sound intervals were small, averaging 20 seconds (from seven observations where time could be judged by repeating motions). L. A. Bayrock and R. S. Taylor spent considerable time in air and ground searches in this area on March 6th and 8th, and as late as April 4th, with negative results. The theory that the Bruderheim bolide had an initial north-easterly trajectory, and at the detonation point split into two main masses, one traveling approximately north 200 east over Egremont, the other 1000 (100 south of east) to fall in the Bruderheim area, while plausible, has not been substantiated by finds.

The assignment of an azimuth of north 1000 to Bruderheim is based largely on the shape of the ellipse of fall and on the fact that most of the sighting evidence does not directly contradict such an interpretation. One hundred miles east of the fall area, on this 1000 azimuth, Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Butz of Dewberry observed the flash and " ... about two to three minutes after light, a thundering noise was heard, windows rattled...." This is the outer limit of sound reports. A wall of L6 matrix dominates one side of my specimen. Although a few larger chondrules are poking out of the gray monotony, and some mild specks of rust coloring add hints of life to wall, it's just a fact of life that the interior of L6 chondrites are often the least exciting visuals of the meteorite world.

Though it is clear that the bolide first became brightly illuminated almost directly north of Edmonton, reports of its height at this time vary greatly, and the slope of the path and the geocentric velocity needed for calculation of the radiant, or direction in space from which the body was coming, are not easily judged. The best evidence suggests that at a height of about 30 miles the fireball flared a bright blue-white, of sufficient intensity to attract the attention of ground observers, and continued in this halo of plasma-type illumination for 25 air miles to the detonation point at a height of 16-17 miles.

Fragments thrown off at detonation remained bright, though changing from white to red as they approached the ground point, about 25 air miles east of the point of detonation. The slope of the illuminated path therefore was about 40°, and since most observers recorded a 5-6 second duration for illumination, the geocentric velocity was about 8-10 miles per second. This interpretation is a best fit interpretation of available sighting data. Heard (1949) describes a fireball similar in many respects to Bruderhein1, and gives the equations necessary for solution of the meteor's path in space, given azimuth, slope, and geocentric velocity. I t becomes clear, on examining the university report forms (based on a Russian example), that these were too complex for an unskilled observer. Most of the forms that were turned in provided little more enlightenment than this initial letter received from John Mandryk of Bruderheim: "I have seen the light and heard the crash. If you wish to send me a form I shall answer it to best of my ability."

Tyrone Balacko and Stan Walker posing with some of the Bruderheim meteorites they recovered. The pair found about 75kg of meteorites within two days. After than, the snows fell and the search efforts were put on hold until spring.

Again, note the geologic hammer. photo courtesy of: http://www.meteoritecollector.org/

Matt Krys holding a Bruderheim meteorite. A majority of Bruderheim specimens in the University of Alberta's collection were purchased from farmers. It became clear early on that the locals of the area were more adroit at finding the cosmic stones than those visiting the area just to search.

photo courtesy of: http://www.meteoritecollector.org/

Nick Broda, a farmer of the Bruderheim district, recovered the first stone from his barnyard on Friday, March 4. It was brought to the Sherritt Gordon Nickel Refinery at Fort Saskatchewan by an employee, and identified as a meteorite. S. Walker and T. Balacko proceeded to the area and began systematically to map the fall and recover fragments which, upon striking frozen ground, had rebounded onto the hard-packed snow surface where they became clearly visible from district roads. On Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6, Walker and Balacko mapped and collected a total of 155 pounds of meteorite, which they later made available to the university as the nucleus of its collection.

At the same time district farmers collected fragment B-74, a complete individual weighing more than 25 kilograms. This stone was then broken by the collectors into a number of fragments, and widely distributed. Most of these pieces mere ultimately acquired by the university, and since B-74 was a completely unweathered specimen it was used as the source of all samples employed in analyses of the meteorite. Andreas Bawel and Walter and Nick Holowaty of Bruderheim collected about 10 kilograms of fragments from their farms on March 4, 5, and 6. Walter Holowaty made the first collections off the ice on the North Saskatchewan River, digging down through the snow to the ice surface wherever he observed an impact hole. On March 7 it snowed heavily and no further recoveries could be made until spring, with the exception of a few small fragments collected from snow banks. Another side of my specimen contains an almost unbroken wall of crust. Having a fist-sized chunk of crusted meteorites is always a treat to be savored. Luckily, the curators who managed this rock for the decades prior to my ownership were careful stewards preserving the integrity of this beauty.

Bruderheim individuals struck the ground almost vertically, apparently at terminal velocity, perhaps 200 miles per hour at impact. The largest fragments, weighing 30 kilograms, traveled farthest, and are grouped at the south-east apex of the ellipse. They dug holes about 8 inches deep in the frozen ground and then rebounded onto the snow surface, ending up about 6 to 8 feet east of the impact point, with a shower of dirt splayed south-east of the impact craters. One individual fell onto a cushion of swathed wheat. The position of these large individuals confirms the 1000 azimuth traced by the fireball, coincident with the axis of the ellipse of fall.

Point of impact of the larger fragments (greater than 4 kilograms) was surveyed with a plane table. Smaller individuals were plotted from the Walker-Balacko map, from mapping on aerial photos while collecting, and from all reliable information obtained from farmers in the area. The Bruderheim bolide continued breaking up into smaller fragments even after the initial detonation at high altitude, and in this and other respects the fall resembles Tenham (Spencer 1937). A small but significant number of fragments, perhaps 10 per cent. of the individuals, show partial fusion crusts, in one instance three stages, late-formed fragmentation surfaces that are not completely blackened. There is evidence from the fall pattern that some individuals broke into two or more pieces while still in the air, though traveling below the speed at which fusion crust would form. In the case of the smaller individuals, direction of fragments from pits is almost random, though there is a suggestion of it being outward from the centre of the ellipse. This probably represents motion imparted by the detonations. These smaller individuals in some cases rebounded onto the snow surface Icing on a cosmic cake. I'm not exactly sure of the specific nomenclature of these specimens, but I suspect that this is Bruderheim specimen number 8. It weighed 706 grams originally. It is the 4270 number I am unsure of.

I don't believe the 4270 number is a weight because it is hard to imagine that my piece is one eighth the total mass of what it was as an individual. If it were the case, then the initial intact specimen must have had an unusual shape like that of a baguette. However, my half-kilo piece could easily be missing 200g of the original form.

Most of the material recovered from Bruderheim was in the form of individuals weighing over 4 kilograms. There is a significant grouping of weights around 25-30 kilograms, which seems to be an optimum size for chondrite fragments surviving the penetration of the earth's atmosphere (Lightfoot, MacGregor and Golding 1935), as evidenced by the weight distribution of stones in the British Museum.

In this tearsheet of meteorite history, a newspaper clipping revisits the Bruderheim meteorite fall. I especially enjoy the final line:

"Scientists were elated because of information it revealed about the nature of radiation in space, the origin and nature of the solar system and indeed the universe."

Wow. Not a bad scientific haul from one ordinary L6. The universe? Really?

As Until next time….

The Accretion Desk welcomes all comments and feedback. [email protected] Meteorite Times Magazine

Meteorite Hunting Book Review by Jim Tobin

I have done book reviews before. Usually the only characters in the books are meteorites or tektites. In this case Meteorite Hunting How To Find Treasure From Space I know almost every character mentioned in the book. That made it very special for me, but by the end of the reading it was clear that this book was far more than a collection of stories about individuals I know. It was so rich in information that it will be the instructional tool for new meteorite hunters for years to come. It will serve as a great resource for the seasoned hunter as well.

Here's Geoff Notkin at one of the book signings during the Tucson Gem Show. Not pictured is the long line of adoring fans waiting to meet him and get a book.

To hunt anything in life requires that the hunter know their prey. After telling us what meteorites are, and an introduction of the proper terminology, Geoff dives right in with a very thorough description of the different types of meteorites and how to recognize them. The physical, visual and textural characteristics of meteorites are covered in detail. Fewer stones will escape the pursuit of the hunter who has read this book.

For the new hunter waiting by his TV for the next fall Geoff gives loads of information about strewn field characteristics, the importance of research and how to prepare for and carry out a search. Always putting the emphasis on doing it right. All the warnings about regard for others property and observing the varying laws are stressed. The needed discussion of compensation for the land owner is offered. Dreams of quick riches are tempered with a more realistic view of rewards achieved from honest labor diligently put into hunting.

The thrill of finding a treasure from outer space is never far from the reader’s mind as Geoff recounts one adventure after another. And nothing ever makes for a better book then when the author truly loves what he is writing about. Geoff’s passion and determination to find meteorites jumps off every page.

Just barely readable is the name Imilac on this shot up sign, from just one of Geoff's great meteorite adventures

No matter what you hunt you will need tools, and the same goes for meteorites. What works for one type of meteorite at a particular location may not work for the next. The variables discussed regarding what tools to use and when will really help the novice increase their chances of success. Metal detectors, magnet canes, GPS units, and cameras are just some of the equipment that the meteorite hunter needs to use. Geoff doesn’t paint an unrealistic picture of how these tools perform. We are told that there is a lot of scrap metal to be dug before the real thing is found. But, with a gentle pat on the back Geoff sends the reader forward with the encouragement that perseverance will pay off. And after all anything in life that is really important requires time and effort and practice. I know I am never going to have a meteorite hunting tool as cool as the custom made Meteorite Men motorcycle.

Important topics like recording the location, getting the newly found meteorites tested, and submitting it for official listing are provided to aid the eager new hunter. Advise on how to be safe and still have fun are always important when desert and isolated locations are involved and Geoff handles these topics well.

I guess it is clear that I really like this book. But, it would just be a good read with less usefulness if it was not done with great pictures and diagrams. Fortunately, this book is another example of what seems to be Geoff’s endless capacity to produce beautiful printed products. Great photography, well reproduced on a nice heavy coated stock makes this book both a delight to read, but more importantly a real resource with clear visual information about what meteorites are and how they look.

I hope to see this book around for years to come. I can only image how many new meteorite hunters will get a boost up to the successful recovery of the rarest objects on Earth from studying its pages. I know it has made me want to get out more often. After all is said and written there really are few things as exciting as digging up a piece of asteroid that no other person has ever seen before. Information And Ordering

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Meteorite Market Trends by Michael Blood

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The Flandrau – Part 2 – UA Mineral Museum by Robert Verish

The University of Arizona Mineral Museum is a must-see attraction when you are in Tucson, especially if you are attending the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.

The meteorites in the UA Mineral Museum Collection are not stored in boxes, they are all on display at the Science Center.

This article is the 2nd Part of a two-part series highlighting the meteorite displays at "The Flandrau" (Science Center) on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. My previous article (the 1st part of this series) was titled, "The Flandrau - Science Center & Planetarium", and was an overview of all of the facilities at "The Flandrau".

This article will be focusing on the meteorite displays that are open to public viewing at the UA Mineral Museum in the Flandrau Science Center.

The "UA Mineral Museum" is presently housed in the basement of the Science Center, which is also known as Flandrau: The UA Science Center. The Science Center had its beginnings in 1972 when the University received a generous donation. The University decided to use the donation to fund facilities in the Astronomy Department that would increase public appreciation and understanding of science. The Mineral Museum was moved into the UA Science Center in 1993. The Mineral Museum has been on the UA campus since 1905.

What was originally called, "The Flandrau Planetarium", has expanded over the years into a large circular, temple-looking building that now houses, not only the Flandrau Planetarium, but the Flandrau Observatory, the UA Mineral Museum, and the Science Center, comprising a Gift Shop and several exhibits both permanent and temporary. This building (located on the University of Arizona campus ) is now known as the "UA Science Center - Flandrau". This building with its white domes is situated next door to the Kuiper Building, which is home to the Lunar & Planetary Lab (LPL). The LPL, a world-famous research facility, was the site of the 2010 Arizona Meteorite Exhibit.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is a venue for many meteorite dealers, which explains why so many meteorite collectors come to Tucson in the month of February. The prime objective of these collectors is to visit as many of the meteorite dealers as is possible, and to view the meteorites, which in most cases, are in display cases that are set up in the dealer's motel room. Now if this is your objective when you visit Tucson, but you don't schedule a visit to the UA Mineral Museum, then you will be missing out on one of the finest meteorite displays that Tucson has to offer!

For those who haven't been to the Mineral Museum recently, you may be surprised by all of the renovations to the Flandrau - Science Center since the Flandrau Planetarium re-opened in April of 2010. If you have visited the "The Flandrau" and the UA Mineral Museum in the past, you should visit it again and see the renovations for yourself. And if you haven't seen UA Mineral Museum, I highly recommend that you take the time on your next visit to Tucson.

You can find a "MAP TO Flandrau Science Center" by going to the Arizona Guide website.

Gallery of Images - Bob's Findings Article for March 2011

The UA Mineral Museum at Flandrau - Science Center

The UA Mineral Museum is dedicated to providing public education, as well as, to the preservation of minerals and meteorites, while also serving the research needs of professionals, students, and collectors. The collection is world- wide in scope, but with specific emphasis on minerals from Arizona and Mexico.

The University of Arizona will mark the 56th Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February with a celebration of historic Bisbee and an exhibition of rare Bisbee minerals at the Flandrau Science Center and the UA Mineral Museum. This exhibit, “Treasures of the Queen: The Amazing Minerals and Mystery of Bisbee, Arizona,” will run beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 6, through May 31.

An excellent display of oil paintings depicting Arizona mining are on exhibit in the Mineral Museum, known as The "Miner's Story" oil paintings.

In 1973 O. Richard Norton was hired to become the Flandrau's first Planetarium director. Richard "Dick" Willey became director of the Planetarium in 1978. The Planetarium was opened to the public in 1975.

Above is an image of the placards and photos in the display case that form the tribute to the first two directors of the Flandrau Planetarium, O. Richard Norton (1937-2009) and Richard Willey (1924-2010).

The above image depicts a close-up of the Udall Park (H4) meteorite that is in the display case along with the tribute to the first two Flandrau Planetarium Directors. This Arizona chondrite was the first meteorite classified by O. Richard Norton. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

Above is an image of the placard with the biography of O. Richard Norton (1937-2009), with information that was obtained from his obituary. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

Above is an image of the placard with the biography of Richard Willey (1924-2010), with information that was obtained from his obituary. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image shows one of the placards that were made in honor of Jim Smaller (1940- 2009). Along with two other posters (one poster is a Jim Smaller biography, and the other poster describes the Sacramento Wash 005 meteorite), these form a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Jim Smaller.

Above is an image of the placard with the biography of Jim Smaller (information obtained from his obituary) . "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts a poster that is in the display case with the "Jim Smaller Tribute" that describes the Sacramento Wash 005 (H-metal) meteorite. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts another poster that is in the display case with the "Jim Smaller Tribute" that describes the Sacramento Wash 005 (H-metal) meteorite. The placard correctly states that SaW 005 is an H-metal meteorite found within the Franconia (H5) strewn field, but the reference to the chondritic portion of SaW 005 being texturally similar to "H4" is confusing. The question is, how can only "2mm of silicate" be sufficient to supply evidence for a petrologic grade determination of "4" with confidence? "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image shows the label that identifies the "Wallapai" iron meteorite on display at the Museum. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to see up-close this meteorite. I have been researching the history of this meteorite, as well as the ethno-history of the tribe on whose reservation these two irons were found, and I have come to the conclusion that the two Wallapai (IID) irons were, long ago, transported from the Needles (IID) iron meteorite find locality. But this subject would be better delt with in a future Bob's Findings article.

The above image depicts the "Wallapai Iron" meteorite on display at the Mineral Museum. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the opposite-side, or back-side view of the "Wallapai Iron" meteorite on display at the Mineral Museum. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts an "end-view" of the "Wallapai Iron" meteorite. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts a view of the opposite end of this "Wallapai Iron" meteorite which has been cut and etched. The etch-pattern is clearly visible. Also visible, are curious lathe- shaped inclusions of sulfides and phosphides. (No, these are not scratches.) "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

This is another view of the etched surface on the cut-end of the "Wallapai Iron" meteorite. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the display case containing samples of "IRON METEORITES" in the UA Mineral Museum collection. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the display case containing samples of "STONY METEORITES". "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the Arizona Meteorite display case. Depicted are samples of the Franconia (H5) meteorite and a graphite nodule from the Canyon Diablo iron, along with a map of Arizona meteorite localities. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the right side of the Arizona Meteorite display case which contains samples of the "Adamana", Gold Basin, and Wickenburg stony meteorites, along with an endcut of the main-mass of the Weaver Mountain iron meteorite. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts specimens of the Winona (WIN) Meteorite contained in the Arizona Meteorite display case. "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The above image depicts the Arizona Meteorite display case containing Bob Haag's specimen of his "Adamana" meteorite (actually, a cast of his original meteorite find). "Click" on the above image in order to ENLARGE.

The Flandrau - UA Mineral Museum is next door to the Kuiper Space Sciences Building.

Very interesting meteorite displays along with fantastic gems and mineral specimens!

What was originally called, "UA Mineral Museum at the Flandrau", is now the center-piece to what has grown into a multifunctional temple to science, The UA Science Center - Flandrau.

References:

Link to website with "University of Arizona Mineral Museum": History, and Information: - The UA Mineral Museum c/o Mark Candee For more information: [email protected]

From the Calgary Gem & Mineral Show website: The University of Arizona Mineral Museum pictures by admin on September 1, 2010 I was doing some work in Tucson, Arizona recently. No doubts, I paid a visit to the excellent mineralogical museum in the University of Arizona. Here are a few pictures to your attention: The Flandrau Science Center, where the Museum occupies the lower level...

Link to a website for links to other museums in Arizona, to include: UA - Mineral Museum UA Science Center, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Link to a website for the : UA Science Center University of Arizona, Tucson

A website for links to images of other observatories in Arizona and California: http://www.xanaduobservatory.com/

Get information about upcoming events at the UA Science: Flandrau on Twitter.

$1,000,000 donated to UA Mineral Museum - Tucson Citizen Morgue ... The head of the University of Arizona’s Science Center was in a great ... in an endowment to support the Mineral Museum when it moves downtown with the UA Science Center ...

My previous articles can be found *HERE*

For for more information, please contact me by email: Bolide*chaser Meteorite-Times Magazine

IMCA Insights – March 2011 by IMCA TEAM

Every year, during the Annual Meeting, the Meteoritical Society chooses the winners of several different Awards, one of them being the Brian Mason Award, it rewards the best abstract submitted by a student to the Meteoritical Society's Annual Meeting. It is of special interest to us because this award is sponsored by the International Meteorite Collectors Association and Meteorite Magazine. And financed by the IMCA. This year’s meeting was in New York, from July 26 to July 30, and the winner was Aidan Ross. As part of the deal the winner was asked to tell us a bit about her, and here is her answer. One thing I particularly noticed is that she only “discovered” meteorites 5 years ago, and she is already working on her Doctorate. Obviously she is a quick learner!

Anne M. Black President of IMCA www.IMCA.cc

My name is Aidan Ross, and I was the winner of the 2010 Brian Mason award at the Meteoritical Society Meeting held in July in New York. I'm 25 and a PhD student studying at University College London joint with the Natural History Museum in London. I first became interested in meteorites during my second year at university (so only five years ago). I have always been obsessed with space, dragging my parents to science museums and planetariums whenever possible. I was delighted when I won a telescope in a raffle and was inspired to study astronomy at university. This ambition was further developed when I attended the Research Science Institute (RSI) the summer before my final year of high school. RSI is a summer school held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology giving high school students a chance to experience university research. I spent the summer studying and modeling pressure-energy density relationships in neutron stars. I then did my undergraduate degree at Cambridge University, where unlike most UK institutions you can study a range of sciences. Geology really interested me so I took it as an option. One of the classes I took was called "In the beginning..." and it was there that I got hooked on meteorites. Looking through a microscope at objects that are the left over builders, rubble from the solar system was awe inspiring. From then on it was clear what I wanted to study.

For my PhD I'm studying ureilites, which are thought to represent the mantle of an asteroid. They are mostly composed of coarse grains of olivine and pyroxene (making beautiful thin sections!), though they also contain diamond (making them a nightmare to cut and polish!). Part of my PhD is focused on studying the origin of the diamond in ureilites, and it was this research that I presented at MetSoc for which I won the Brian Mason Award. I studied diamond in a sample of the new and exciting ureilite Almahata Sitta and compared it with other ureilites from the Natural History Museum (UK) and NASA Antarctic meteorite collections. I used raman spectroscopy and found that the diamond is distinct from that in other ureilites and may represent a rare polymorph of diamond called lonsdaleite. The work was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Carnegie Institution of Washington and NASA and is currently in press at the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.

Almahata Sitta is an extremely special meteorite. It was the first sample to be tracked as an asteroid (2008TC3) and while mostly ureilitic, also includes multiple associated chondritic samples giving the impression that a large amount of mixing of different materials occurred in the accretion of this rubble pile asteroid. For more about Almahata Sitta I would highly recommend reading the Planetary Science Research Discoveries page (http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/April10/AlmahataSitta.html). I have been very lucky to be able to obtain samples of Almahata Sitta through collaboration with NASA and the University of Khartoum in Sudan who organized the sample collection expeditions. The samples have attracted a lot of attention with dedicated sessions at the 2010 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference and Meteoritical Society Meeting with Meteoritics and Planetary Science recently publishing a special issue focusing on them. I am a co-author on one of these papers which presented results of mineral thermometry and hence a history of Almahata Sitta and the ureilite parent body.

Most recently I have been studying the metals in ureilites (including Almahata Sitta) in collaboration with scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center. In November/December I was a visiting researcher there using the new state-of-the-art laser-ablation mass spectrometry facility. Laser ablation is quite a nerve racking technique as once you've destroyed the grain you are trying to analyze, there is no way of getting it back. The results are preliminary but it seems like Almahata Sitta still has plenty more clues to give us about ureilite evolution.

I've got about a year left of my PhD now and things aren't slowing down at all. I think that things are starting to get even more exciting for the study of asteroids with the recent return of samples from Itokawa by the Japanese Hayabusa mission and the arrival of the NASA Dawn mission scheduled for this summer. I've got plans for more analyses and ideas for more studies and I'm enjoying all of it. At the same time I'm thinking about the future and hoping that I'll be able to continue on in planetary science and meteorite research.

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Thinner Thin Sections by John Kashuba

The canonical thickness for thin sections is 0.03mm. Professionals depend on it. Collectors insist on it. Still, if we have to rely on a conventional light microscope there are some times when thinner sections show more features. The dark, fine grained matrix of low petrographic type carbonaceous chondrites can hide smaller mineral grains. Polish off some of that material and more shine through. Two Tagish Lake C2-ung slides and two CH3 slides illustrate this. Let’s call these two thin section samples Tagish Thick and Tagish Thin. The field of view is the same for each, 15 mm high. We are looking at them with light coming from the back. Thin, of course, passes more light. It is thinnest at the lower right.

Tagish Thick up close and in cross polarized light. We see typical interference colors telling us that the section is at the correct thickness. Field of view is 3 mm wide.

Same view in plane polarized light.

Tagish Thin up close and in cross polarized light. No third order interference colors. The sample is thin. Field of view is 3 mm wide.

Same view in plane polarized light. Scads of detail.

Side by side comparison, Thick (correct, actually) and Thin.

These are “thick” and thin thin sections of NWA 4781 CH3. The field of view is the same for each, 30 mm wide by 20 mm high. Again, we are holding them up to the light.

The thicker CH3 in XPL and in PPL. FOV is 3 mm wide.

The thinner CH3 in XPL and in PPL. FOV is 3 mm wide.

Comparing the left sides of each PPL shot. The thicker (correct thickness) on the left and the thinner on the right.

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Homestead L5 Chondrite Fell February 12, 1875, Amana, Co., Iowa. Specimen 4.4 grams

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