Meteorite Times Magazine by The Meteorite Exchange, Inc.

Meteorite Times Magazine Contents by Editor

Featured Monthly Articles Accretion Desk by Martin Horejsi Jim’s Fragments by Jim Tobin Meteorite Market Trends by Michael Blood Bob’s Findings by Robert Verish IMCA Insights by The IMCA Team Micro Visions by John Kashuba Norm’s Tektite Teasers by Norm Lehrman Meteorite Calendar by Anne Black Meteorite of the Month by Editor Tektite of the Month by Editor

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Meteorite Times Magazine Pantar: The Sky is Falling. Really! by Martin Horejsi

Pantar: The Sky is Falling. Really! Lets hope its not a bomb!

Pantar, Philippines is an amazing meteorite. Not for its H5 class, the second most common type of chondrite after the oft-shunned L6. But instead Pantar has several wonderfully detailed descriptions about its 1938 fall and its travel from the island and into our collections. The heavily crusted end section of Pantar in the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection also contains a specimen number from the Jim DuPont collection adding history to its history. The two stories below chronicle the fall of Pantar, and instantly launched Pantar to must-have status for serious collectors.

The activity within the matrix of Pantar is almost as busy as the global events surrounding its fall.

Pantar is an important reminder that a meteorite fall occurs somewhere at some time, and that place and space are forever part of the meteoriteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. Some landing sites are somewhat benign to the story, but others such as with Pantar, are an essential element that sets this meteorite apart and far and above the average chondrite. So as you add dates and locations to your collection, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to add the essence of the time and place as well. Because if you ignore the importance of the where and the when of the fall, the meteorite becomes, well, just a meteorite. Until next timeâ&#x20AC;Ś. The Accretion Desk welcomes all comments and feedback. accretiondesk@gmail.com

Meteorite Times Magazine Griffith Observatory by Jim Tobin

It had been several years since I had been to the Griffith Observatory and my granddaughter had never been so we took her. My wife loves the place too so it was an exciting day for all of us. The parking on the day we went was difficult but as it turned out we did get a spot very close and not down on the approach road. I knew Kayli would want to see the planetarium show so we looked around a little then bought our tickets for the showing in a couple hours. That would give us enough time to see everything and go to the gift shop as well. She had been saving her money for a while and was going to find something cool to get for herself. The exhibits have improved so much over the years. Some are still the classics of the past like the solar spectrum and the solar telescope imaging. The Camera Obscura is the same. The Tesla Coil is in a new location as it has been for the last few years. They do not run it I guess without finding the correct person and twisting his arm. But, that is OK everyone in my family has seen a lot of tesla coils. Making them was a favorite hobby of my dad and I years ago. I still have several around the garage from big ones to little table top size. All kinds from classic monopolar to unusual bipolar types. Some of the new exhibits at the observatory are very nice indeed. The astronomy history ones have small holographic like animations that you watch. Very cool. After you have been to the old portion even with its great new exhibits it is time to run downstairs to the important part where the meteorites, tektites and impact rock exhibits are. As you come into the lower level you meet again, as at the Natural History Museum a display with many offerings from Robert Verish. Bob has put a great many meteorites from California at the Observatory. Other hunters are represented also, but Bob has really given from his heart to Griffith. I tried to get the best shot I could but it was crowded and people were actually getting annoyed with me taking time in front of the display cases to photograph them.

Some where in this photo one of these dots represents Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find and my own find from California. If I every get off my butt I have a couple more that Bob has the information on but that I have never gotten anyone to classify. This picture is a great visual history of the recent and past recovery of meteorites from California.

Down just a couple cases is a display on tektites, it is always nice to see Darryl Futrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name on the tags. This display was once upstairs in the old section along with just a few meteorites. I am glad that they

have kept it and put it in a great location.

There was a meteorite and meteor-wrong display. Kayli has seen enough of her grampaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meteorites all her life. So she took the challenge and tried to find the meteorites mixed with the other items. I am proud to say that she got most of the meteorites and none of the wrongs. They had some good wrongs in there too. One piece of hematite that was quite meteorite looking. She and I both failed to see the one very small stone that was sort of nestled next to another rock. A fun display. Next to the meteorites were a couple of other really neat items to not miss if you visit. The two cosmic ray detectors were new since I visited right after the reopening. They had a very awful cloud chamber years ago. What they have now is so cool it is hard to say enough. You can just stand there and see particle trails of every shape and style with no difficulty at all. None of the old wait for the cloud to form and then try to look real fast before it dissipates. The cloud is vapor at the bottom of an acrylic box and it is always there and so are the particle trails. The spark detector is right next to it and it is like a comic ray bug zapper. Also very cool. The Observatory has some great Canyon Diablo meteorites. Here are the two in the meteorite area. I always wish I knew when specimens like these were acquired. It is one of those Meteor Crater history things I guess. I think these are probably ones gotten in the 1930s. The Observatory has been around for 80 odd years I think.

There is another exhibit that I found really neat. A thin section microscopic viewer is in the meteorite area. It has a large eyepiece with fabulous eye-relief. So here is a picture I got just holding the camera in front of the lens. There is a small arm the projects from the side of the barrel. You can rotate the polarizing filter with it. The meteorite is visible in plain and cross polarization. You can only see the area they have it put on. But, what a nice barred chondrule they have chosen.

We finished down in the planet and galaxy area where Einstein is still sitting. I took a picture of my wife

with him the last time. Here he is talking to our granddaughter this trip.

Be sure to check the dates and times for your visit the Observatory is not open everyday and the time it opens is different also. But, it is one of those not to be missed locations in Los Angeles. It is really worth a visit every few years since they keep it very fresh with new exhibits. Until next month, bye.

Meteorite-Times Magazine Meteorite Market Trends by Michael Blood Like

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Meteorite Times Magazine Sutterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mill #12 Meteorite by Robert Verish

An Article In Meteorite-Times Magazine by Robert Verish

Sutter's Mill #12 Meteorite The twelth find recorded by NASA from the April 22nd 2012 meteorite fall of a rare carbonaceous chondrite in El Dorado County California.

Much has been written about the Sutter's Mill meteorite that fell on April 22nd 2012 in the Lotus/Coloma area of northern California. And in the future, much more will be written about this meteorite. Much more will HAVE to be written, because this is a significant meteorite and the Sutter's Mill story has just begun. Even as I write this article, the very name "Sutter's Mill" has just been formally-approved for this meteorite. And although the name "Sutter's Mill" now appears in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database, and it is clearly a rare carbonaceous chondrite, its exact classification has yet to be announced. Clearly it is too soon to write "The Whole Story" about the Sutter's Mill Meteorite. And a recap of its recovery is too recent and too well documented to offer any new or pertinent information. But I could write about my personal experiences while searching in the Sutter's Mill strewn-field. I could narrow

my focus and just write about how one of the stones from this fall came to be found. I can write with some firsthand knowledge about the recovery of this stone, because it happened right in front of me. Of course, I'm talking about the 17gram stone that my wife, Moni Waiblinger, found while volunteering on a search with NASA: Sutter's Mill #12 At first, Moni wasn't too keen on the idea of joining a group search where, if she made a find, it would have to be given to the property owner. But I explained to Moni that the property owners (Merv and Eugenia de Haas) had made it clear that they were only going to let NASA volunteers onto their property, and if anything was found, it was going to be donated to NASA researchers. Besides, we had arrived too late (at the end of the first week) and the local property owners had already come to the end of their patiance with all of the "meteor hunters", and getting permission to hunt private property had become not only very difficult, but contentious. So, with our options dwindling, we decided to volunteer our services to the recovery effort spear-headed by Peter Jenniskens and Bev Girden (NASA-Ames) and the small group of volunteers that they mustered. We arrived at the assigned meeting spot (the parking lot of the Museum in Sutter's Mill State Historical Park)early on Sunday morning, now one-full-week after the fall of this meteorite. After the team briefing by Peter and Bev, we caravaned to the "de Haas Farm" in Lotus. Well, here is the rest of the story by the finder, Moni Waiblinger, in her own words: Bob and I decided to join Peter and Bev.... and their group of volunteers to search for the meteorite at a farm property 2 miles south of Lotus. At arrival, the owner's brother and his wife (Al and Eugena de Haas) greeted us and told us we were allowed to hunt anywhere on their property. I mentioned we better start at a place without a lot of grass (and other vegetation) and Al de Haas replied that his brother's horse corral would be the place to start. Before we started walking down the hill to where the horse corral was located, I took several group photos of every one present. Later, I would think how funny it was that the one person not in the pictures (the one taking the pictures) would eventually be the "finder". We all started walking down the hill to the corral. Three horses were inside the fence with one of them was quite protective of the other two. He intimidated a couple of us by running around and the owner cautioned us, but he also mentioned that the horse is "alright, just be alert around him". The owner undid the chain around the posts and Peter entered the corral first and greeted the horse, well, the horse really greeted him first. We all proceeded inside the corral and it was decided that we would all form a line and move (in unison) across the pasture. We, first, lined-up against one side of the fence and then slowly walked to the opposite side searching for any fallen rocks. We all turned and went in another direction. We did this twice, but no finds were made. Couple of us continued to walk around the corral and kept searching randomly, while others were standing in a group discussing our next move. Few rocks or pebbles were in the area. I searched under the bushes and trees and joined with another volunteer named John, and we both continued our "random" walk. We were discussing how lucky one has to be to find a meteorite, any meteorite, even if it is in a middle of strewn-field with many others.

We felt we would have to have luck on our side and and be in the proper state-of-mind with pure contentment. Within seconds of me saying this to John, I spotted a grey rock on the ground! Well, as Moni said to me, "The rest is all now history". Before I head-out the door again for a return trip, here are a few of my images of the recovery of Sutter's Mill number 12:

The NASA Recovery Team for the Sutter's Mill Meteorite (SM12)- just prior to the search on 2012 April 29 - Lotus, California

Group shot - image is of the [unidentified] meteorite hunters (minus Moni Waiblinger) who volunteered to join the NASA Search Team at the "de Haas Family Farm". (Image taken by Moni Waiblinger.)

The "Merv de Haas Farm" (is the find location for SM12)- image dated 2012 April 29 - Lotus, California

NASA search team leader, Peter Jenniskens, makes friends with the horses in the pasture before the search party enters the field. By this time, I had already informed Peter that this pasture and the surrounding search area was too far south to have any chance of finding a stone from the Sutter's Mill fall, and that Moni and I would only stay and search for an hour, and then would depart to return to Coloma. Only 55 minutes later I would regret making those comments, as that was all the time Moni needed to find her meteorite, Sutter's Mill 12 (17grams).

After searching the pasture for an hour, a find (SM12)is made! Image date: 2012 April 29 - Lotus, California

My wife, Monika Waiblinger, points down to the stone she has found (just a few minutes earlier) and looks up (still in shock) and in apparent disbelief, might be asking, "You're not kidding me, are you? Are you telling me that after only 2 days of hunting, I've already found a Sutter's Mill Meteorite?" (Image taken by an even more stunned husband.)

First in-situ image of find (SM12)- image dated 2012 April 29 - Lotus, California

Surface conditions where the find was made. (In-situ image taken by Bob Verish) Almost immediately, people start to circle around Moni's just found stone, mostly to take images, but also to keep away any curious dogs or horses.