# Did I find a meteorite? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367 "2008-07-13T21:50:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/1 "2008-07-13T21:50:31Z")
About 15 years ago I was just south of Nags Head, on the Outter Banks of North Carolina, when I found this [curious rock.](http://picasaweb.google.com/pavasamigo/MysteryRock) I was on a large sand bar called “The Point”. "The Point"doesn’t go away, but shifts season by season. It is unlikely that something heavier than the sand would have washed “up”. You can see a rainbow sheen, like it is covered in oil, but it is not. It is not unusually heavy (or light) for its size. It has resided in the window above the sink in our kitchen…until my wife knocked it to the floor last week and broke it into two pieces. What is inside stirred my interest. It is shiny like it is metallic or glassy. And - here is the weird part, it is attracted to itself. If you put the pieces back in place they stay, even if you hold it upside down, or sideways. When you pull them apart you can feel a weak connection being broken. BUT it is not reactive to a magnet, or iron. A quick [google of “meteorite”](http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1T4TSHA_en___US250&q=meteorite&start=18&sa=N&ndsp=18) shows images of similar objects. Someone suggested it could be where lightning struck the sand. But I don’t know. Anyone got any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/2 "2008-07-13T21:54:00Z")
Looks like rainbow obsidian. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/3 "2008-07-13T21:56:07Z")
It looks suspiciously like a [lump of coal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coal_anthracite.jpg), especially if it has rolled around in the surf for a while… ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/4 "2008-07-13T21:57:58Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] Looks like rainbow obsidian. [/QUOTE] A quick google does show rocks that look similar, but not quite. And isn’t that a volcanic rock? On the sands of North Carolina? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/5 "2008-07-13T22:00:06Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] It looks suspiciously like a [lump of coal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coal_anthracite.jpg), especially if it has rolled around in the surf for a while… [/QUOTE] Yeah the Outter Banks are called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” because of all of the shiwrecks. Probably a lot of coal right offshore in sunken ships. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/6 "2008-07-13T22:01:25Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Someone suggested it could be where lightning struck the sand. [/QUOTE] Probably not [fulgerite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgerite). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/7 "2008-07-13T22:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Probably a lot of coal right offshore in sunken ships. [/QUOTE] If it’s coal you should be able to scrape some bits off with a knife. Put the bits in spoon and put the spoon on the stove. Anthracite’ll burn. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/8 "2008-07-13T22:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] If it’s coal you should be able to scrape some bits off with a knife. Put the bits in spoon and put the spoon on the stove. Anthracite’ll burn. [/QUOTE] OK I 'll try it but if it is some bizarre compound that explodes and takes out central Virginia, I blame you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/9 "2008-07-13T23:10:12Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] OK I 'll try it but if it is some bizarre compound that explodes and takes out central Virginia, I blame you. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Errm, let me move a bit south, first. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/10 "2008-07-13T23:27:47Z")
I flaked off a piece about the size of a pea, and got a pan red hot. I let it it sat in the pan, unfazed, until the pan itself started to smoke. ---
**Author:** ![adirondack\_mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@adirondack\_mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adirondack_mike)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/11 "2008-07-14T00:13:00Z")
Looks like anthracite. Like coal only better. If you can scratch it with a knife that would rule out most (if not all) meteorites. I see that Fear Itself has already linked to anthracite. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/12 "2008-07-14T00:14:44Z")
Hold your sample directly in a gas flame. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/13 "2008-07-14T00:16:07Z")
[QUOTE=adirondack\_mike] Looks like anthracite. Like coal only better. [/QUOTE] Dammit its a space rock! [Joe Dirt] Meteor Bert: Well, it ain’t a meteor. Joe Dirt: Yeah it is. It came out of the sky. Meteor Bert: Well I’m sure it did but it ain’t no meteor. It’s a big ol frozen chunk o’ shit. Joe Dirt: What! Meteor Bert: Oh yeah, see them airplanes they dump their toilets 36,000 feet. The stuff freezes and falls to earth. We call ‘em Boeing bombs [chomps teeth] Joe Dirt: no that can’t be. That’s not what it is Meteor Bert: oh, afraid so. See that peanut? Dead giveaway. Joe Dirt: Uhhh, no, that’s a space peanut. Meteor Bert: No, afraid not. That just a big ol’ frozen chunk of poopy. [/Joe Dirt] ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/14 "2008-07-14T02:22:01Z")
It looks like anthracite but it wouldn’t be found naturally there. OP, can you get a close-up of the interior of the rock where it broke apart? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/15 "2008-07-15T00:40:34Z")
Anthracite has a very high heat of ignition - you won’t ignite it in a pan. But it will burn. If you had any possible way to measure density, you could see if it has a specific gravity of about 1.1 to 1.4. From the pictures, it looks like anthracite. I have…some knowledge of coal, but I can’t really say for certain without seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/16 "2008-07-15T00:45:18Z")
I’m thinking…slag. Waste from iron smelting. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/17 "2008-07-15T00:56:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] I’m thinking…slag. Waste from iron smelting. [/QUOTE] Space slag? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/18 "2008-07-15T01:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Space slag? [/QUOTE] Absolutely. Heck, the substance of that rock and every single thing you see and feel around you was formed in a supernova explosion some 7-10 billion years ago. How cool is _that_? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/19 "2008-07-15T01:12:38Z")
Paging **Anthracite,** I mean **Una Person…** ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367/20 "2008-07-15T01:13:53Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Paging **Anthracite,** I mean **Una Person…** [/QUOTE] Pssst. Post #15 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-find-a-meteorite/456367.md?page=2)