Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigS
Ok .. I'll be the donkey … why is the presence of Nickel a 'sure sign' it is a meteorite ?
Cheers |
Craig,
Nickel content in iron meteorites varies from about 5 to over 20%. This differentiates from man made iron objects where the nickel content is zero. Naturally occurring iron as an element is very rare as are Iron Nickel deposits.
A test for Nickel is the most conclusive test available for Iron and stony iron meteorite identification.
The fact that Lester is also picking up soil on the magnets is not a good sign. If Neodymium magnets are being used these can pick up hematite, which suggests the small stones may be basaltic in origin.
A specific gravity test would help here, but a test for Nickel is the way to go.
Regards
Steven