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Meteorite Collecting Resolutions for 2003
Collecting meteorites is part of my life. With this in mind, it should be no
surprise that my collecting interests have their own New Year’s Resolutions for
2003.
While it would be easy to just list the specimens I want to acquire in 2003,
there is more to collecting than simply gathering up materials. Instead, my
resolutions are to better prepare the collection to stand on its own without the
help of my memory. Once my collection topped 700 different locations, my ability
to remember details about each meteorite seems to have slipped a bit. Therefore,
better documentation is on my resolution list. The details of what to document
is important, but I also need to resolve what types of specimens I want to
collect and those I do not want.
Finally for 2003, I want to devote more of my collecting time to what I already
have instead of towards what I do not yet have. Frankly, there is no foreseeable
end to the supply of meteorites on this planet. Therefore since my passion is
not the act of collecting, but instead on the appreciation for what I am
collecting, time management is an issue.
So, for my Meteorite Collecting New Year’s Resolutions for 2003, I resolve to…
1. Be less concerned with price, and instead pay more attention to quality and
opportunity.
2. Focus more heavily on specimens of historical and scientific importance
rather than trying to get one of everything.
3. Document in my collection catalogue more about the history of each specimen
in my collection. Not just the usual classification information, but also its
journey through human hands including specimen numbers and cards.
4. Share my enthusiasm for meteorites with more people, and to offer more
support for the beginning collector.
5. To spend less time looking at ebay and more time looking through the
microscope.
While I know this list resolutions is incomplete, it will make a positive
difference in my meteorite collection. Meteorite collecting should be an
enjoyable intellectual pursuit. Should it ever become stressful or feel like
work, I will take a break from it. But for now, a few simple resolutions are
enough. And I hope they help other collectors realize the enjoyment I have found
within these primitive stones from the stars.
One more thing, here is a New Year’s gift for all of you. In the December issue
of The Accretion Desk, I offered 15 meteorite interior photographs for your
visual enjoyment. Here is way to get photo-quality prints of all the images for
no more than the cost of shipping the prints.
I posted the images on the Internet with an online photo hosting and printing
company. If you would like 4x5 inch prints of the pictures please email me (martinh@isu.edu)
with the following words in your subject line:
Accretion Desk pictures
I will send you a link giving you access to my images, and when you open an
account, you will receive 15 free 4x6 prints from the company. Just select all
the meteorite images in the album, and order your 15 free prints.
Below is the list of the images with their classification as they appeared in
the December issue. The photo-quality images are actually of higher resolution
than the ones in the December article, and do not contain the numbers on the
image. Instead, all the photos are labeled with the name of the meteorite.
1: Krymka (LL3.1)
2: Carver (Hexahedrite)
3: Monze (L6)
4: Ornans (CO3.3)
5: Felt (b) (Genomict breccia of W1 with 2/3 L3.5 S4 and 1/3 L5 S5)
6: Johnstown (Diogenite)
7: Landes (Octahedrite, Silicate inclusions, Type: IA)
8: Murchison (CM2)
9: Sikhote-Alin (Octahedrite, coarsest, Type: IIB)
10: Eagles Nest (Brachinite)
11: Buenaventura (Octahedrite, medium, Type: IIIB)
12: Pena Blanca Springs (Aubrite)
13: Canyon Diablo Graphite Nodule (Octahedrite, coarse, Type: IAB)
14: Baratta (L3.8)
15: Ibitara (Eucrite, vesiculated)
Happy New Year!
