The Impact and Recovery of the Novato Meteorite
[2012 October 18, 02:44 UT (Oct. 17, 19:44 PDT)]
Report your find to receive an N number by email to: Petrus.M.Jenniskens@nasa.gov
Recovered finds
The confirmed finds listed below are given in order of N number assigned. This will be regularly updated. If you find errors, please let us know.
N# Mass(g) Lat(N) Longitude(W) Date of find Finder
N01* 61.9 38.1090 122.6105 10/20/2012 Lisa Webber
N02 65.9 38.0941 122.5683 10/22/2012 Brien Cook
N03 79.8 38.1152 122.5640 10/25/2012 Jason Utas
N04 107 38.1217 122.5670 10/27/2012 Robert Verish
N05 24.3 38.1195 122.5720 11/02/2012 Jason Utas
N06* 23.7 38.0768 122.5692 11/11/2012 Robert Kane
Novato Meteorite Consortium
Novato N01 was donated by Lisa Webber and Glenn Rivera to enable analysis by Novato Meteorite Consortium members. Please consider donating a small part of your future find to research so we can sample as many different parts of the asteroid as possible.
The following research teams (team lead given) are participating in a Novato meteorite consortium established to coordinate the analysis of the Novato meteorite samples and encourage as many samples to be studied as possible. Please contact if you like to join this effort with unique ability (POC) :
H. Busemann Open Univ, U.K. Heavy noble gasses N01
J. Friedrich Fordham Univ. Elemental composition N01
M. Fries P.S.I. Raman Spectroscopy N01
D. Glavin NASA Goddard Amino acids N01 (methanol extract)
M. Grady NHM C, N isot., Ar,Ne N01
P. Jenniskens SETI/NASA ARC Meteorite recovery N01
M. Laubenstein SanG, Italy Gamma Ray Spectroscopy N01
A. Rubin UCLA Petrography N01
H. Sabbah Toulouse MS PAHS -.-
S. Sandford NASA ARC IR spectroscopy -.-
P. Schmitt-K. H.-Z., Germany MS organics N01
D. Sears NASA ARC Thermoluminescence N01
T. Swindle LPL, Az Ar-Ar dating N01
K. Verosub UC Davis magnetic signatures N06,N05,N02,N01
J. Wasson UCLA INAA -.-
K. Welten UC Berkeley Radio isotopes N01
Q. Yin UC Davis isot./trace el. geoch. N06, N01
K. Ziegler UNM oxygen isot. (fluorin.) N01
M. Zolensky NASA JSC Petrography -.-
The following research teams are participating in the coordinated analysis of observations of the Novato's asteroid impact and recovery:
L. Blair Novato Recovery
P. Brown UWO, Canada Infrasound
D. Clark UWO, Canada Pre-impact recovery
M. Fries Planetary Science Inst. Radar maps, strewn field
B. Girten NASA/ARC Recovery
P. Jenniskens SETI/NASA ARC Trajectory reconstruction
D. Kane Buck Inst. Density, recovery
R. Matson SAIC Radar maps, strewn field
E. Silber UWO, Canada Infrasound
J. Utas UC Berkeley Recovery
P. Worden NASA/ARC Recovery
How to preserve your meteorite finds
To keep your meteorite in the best possible shape, here are some general guidelines:
- Keep magnets away from them (in order not to destroy any natural magnetism in the rock)
- Do not touch the meteorites (in case your hands contain moisture, oils, and bacteria).
- Use aluminum foil to collect the meteorite and to store and handle it.
- When you show the meteorites to others, minimize exposure to moisture (such as from people talking over it).
- Keep plastics away from the meteorite. No storing in plastic bags, plastic containers, no touching with gloves.
- Store the meteorites wrapped in aluminum foil in a clean (no smell) glas jar, covered by a sheet of aluminum foil. Put that jar in a bigger jar with closed lid with some desiccant on the bottom (if no other desiccant is available, one-minute rice will do). Allow the meteorite to dry out in this way to remove all adsorbed water vapor.
Please check also other sources of information to make sure you are doing your utmost best preserving the meteorite against weathering.
Background
Report your find: This website, maintained by Dr. Jenniskens, keeps an official tally of the recovered meteorites. Each recovered meteorite is given a number. By knowing the location of the meteorite in the strewn field, it is possible to relate the properties of the meteorites back to a position in the original asteroid. By using the numbers in publications and trade, thus keeping track of the find location, over time we will get a glimpse of the fascinating little world that collided with Earth.
Unique aspects of Novato: The fireball crossed the cameras of the CAMS meteor shower surveillance project in the San Francisco Bay Area. CAMS provides an accurate trajectory and orbit in space. The calculated path over Novato was published in the SF Chronicle, which led Lisa Webber on the following Saturday to check her yard for the cause of impact sounds heard on the roof that evening. This first find made it clear what to look for. The recovered meteorites typically have lost much of their fusion crust and are not easily differentiated from some weathered terrestrial rocks.
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