[Everyone] meteorite hunt on 1 Nov

[John Wasson]

Dear All

Two months ago we purchased a six-pound H-chondrite find with a beautiful
shape and a relatively fresh black fusion crust. It will be one of our most
attractive California meteorites and is the more important because it is
from Southern California.  The finder showed us on a map where he found it
(30 years ago) in North Edwards, CA, just north of Edwards AFB (the home of
the space shuttle).

The shape of the meteorite and the fact that one side has thinner fusion
crust on it implies to us that this stone was part of a shower of meteorites
produced when the original mass broke up during atmospheric passage. There
may thus be other fragments within about 2-4 miles of the discovery
location.

For interesting, typically California, reasons, all the parcels of land at
this location are in private hands. Because there is no water, none of them
have been developed; no structure is visible on aerial photos within a
couple of miles of the discovery site.

I have sent letters to ten landowners asking for permission to search and
have received permission from four who own about 170 acres. I have posted
just to the left inside the Meteorite Gallery a map with the numbers of the
parcels circled that we can search on.  I am not sending you a digital copy
because this information should not be circulated outside UCLA until we have
completed several searches and are prepared to release the discovery
location to the world.

You are invited to participate in the first search, which is scheduled for
Saturday 1 Nov 2014 (the last day of daylight savings for the year). I need
to limit the number to about 15 of you but, because the number of volunteers
may not be large, please don't let this deter you from offering to help.

All participants will need to sign a form stating that, if they find a
meteorite, it is to be the property of the UCLA Meteorite Collection and the
landowner (one landowner has told us that we can keep her share), that you
must search within the boundaries of the parcels for which we have permits,
and that you cannot return on your own on a later date to carry out searches
without first obtaining my approval (which can only occur after I notify the
landowners of the date and after you have provided me with an accurate list
of who will be involved in the search).

Google states that it is about 101 miles from Westwood to North Edwards and
that the drive should take about 1 h 51 m.  We will take one van from UCLA
but I suspect that most will carpool.  

The search will take all day.  My draft plan is that we eat dinner together
at the Encino Hokkaido Seafood Buffet (I will subsidize grad students' meals
by $10).

Let me hear from you if you would like to attend.

John Wasson

 

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