One common method used to distinguish meteorites from ordinary rocks is to measure their density. Meteorites contain iron and other dense materials. This means they will be much heavier than a normal rock of the same size.
Because they look quite similar, few people can distinguish between meteorites and ordinary rocks.
Characteristic air channels
Unlike ordinary rocks formed on Earth, meteorites take on many bizarre shapes after undergoing a process of atmospheric heating. They can even have unusual indentations on their surface called regmaglypts. These indentations appear when the outer layer of the meteorite melts during its descent to the Earth's surface.
This process can even create a coating on the surface of the meteorite called a molten crust, which looks like a black eggshell. The surface of a new meteorite is usually shiny due to the impact of hurtling through Earth's atmosphere at high speed. If it remains in the atmosphere longer, the meteorite may turn brown as the iron begins to rust.
In addition, streaks—ultrafine lines formed by molten meteorites as they enter the atmosphere, which can be even smaller and thinner than a human hair—are also a distinguishing feature of meteorites.
Meteorites are auctioned off for huge sums of money.
When meteoroids enter the atmosphere, they rub against the air, causing their surface to heat up to several thousand degrees and melt. Then, as they cool, this molten surface solidifies into a thin layer called the molten crust, usually only about 1 mm thick, brown or dark brown in color.
As this crust cools, air blows across its surface, leaving distinct grooves called air channels, resembling the fingerprints left on dough. The molten crust and air channels are key characteristics of meteorites. If you find a rock or piece of iron with these characteristics, it can be confirmed that it is a meteorite.
Some ways to identify meteorites
Some meteorites fall to Earth and, over time, are weathered by rain and sun, causing the hard outer layer to peel away. In such cases, the air pockets are difficult to spot, but it's not impossible to identify them.
Rocky meteorites look very similar to rocks on Earth, but for the same volume, you'll find they are much heavier. They usually contain a certain amount of iron, are magnetic (you can tell with a magnet). Additionally, a close examination of a rocky meteorite's cross-section will reveal many small, round particles, 1-3 mm in diameter. 90% of rocky meteorites contain these small, round particles.
Inside meteorites, there are tiny fragments of debris.
The main components of stony meteorites are iron and nickel, with iron accounting for about 90% and nickel 4-8%. The amount of nickel in naturally occurring iron on Earth is not that high. If the cross-section of an iron meteorite is polished and then treated with nitric acid, very distinctive pitting patterns will appear, resembling floral patterns.
This is because the composition of iron in meteorites is unevenly distributed, with some areas having more nickel than others. Areas with high nickel content are less susceptible to acid corrosion, and vice versa, creating the veining patterns. This is also a way to identify meteorites.
Tuyet Anh (Source: Compilation)
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