328E-347-Your Space Rock

If you are luckier than a hundred million dollar power ball winner you will see your space rock as a meteor streaking across the sky, fall to the ground, and land in a place where can you walk over and pick it up. On the other hand, with more persistence than luck you can find a space rock where it has been waiting for you on the surface of planet Earth . First you need a place to look. Dry lake beds have few surface rocks and can be a great place to find meteorites. There are strewn fields from known celestial falls that you can check out. On private land will you need the owner's permission. If you live near BLM land you can collect up to 10 lbs of meteorites a year without a special permit. Train your eye by looking at photos of meteorites and/or make a visit to a museum to view the real thing. A dark fusion crust is a clue. Thumbprint like surface features is another. A powerful magnet will tell you if your candidate has a high iron content consistent with meteorites An exciting new way to find freshly fallen space rocks involves the use of Doppler weather RADAR to track pieces of an exploding fireball on their way to Earth. There are web sites which can alert you to places to travel to and search.