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Astronomy/Crystalline patterns in meteorites

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Expert: - 11/19/2009


Question
Hello, A few years ago I heard something on a TV program about meteorites that has been bugging me and I haven’t been able to find an answer to it. What I heard was that when a crystal meteor collides with an iron meteor the crystal meteorite is obliterated leaving no physical remnants but passes the “property” to the iron meteorite beyond the influence of the impact force.

This sound to me like saying that if I punch a huge block of clay I can see my skin pattern at not just the point of impact, or even a few inches in, but at the back side of the block beyond where the force of the impact reached. I can understand a property being transferred by a physical (or chemical?) process, but not otherwise.

Did I just mishear or misunderstand this?


Answer
Hello,

Sorry, but I have heard of no such phenomenon. Nor am I aware of any such properties attributed to "crystal meteors".

I hasten to add, however, that I don't claim this to be the last word, since my specialty area is not meteors, or meteor composition.

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Philip Stahl

Expertise

I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.

Experience

Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.

Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union

Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.

Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics

Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research

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