Of all the different directions and angles of collecting rocks from space, the so-called Birthday Meteorite is the most personal. And due to the fact that meteorite falls, finds, and of course distribution and collector access, the offerings to those desiring a particular meteorite are not predictable. A Birthday Meteorite, at least according to my unofficial definition, is a meteorite whose discovery coincides with a person’s birthday. After that, the specifics are up to the collectors. The connection might be the year of fall, the day of fall, or in some lucky cases, both. For the Meteorite Times, I consider it both. Well, close enough.
Bensour is the name given to a LL6 chondrite meteorite that fell in 2002, likely on February 11th of that year. While some folks think there is still some wiggle-room about Bensour being an actual witnessed fall, those who witnessed it to fall think it’s a witnessed fall. And that’s good enough for me.
Anyway, congratulations to both Bensour and The Meteorite Times for two decades of service to those fans of meteorites. So for this 20 year anniversary installment of The Accretion Desk, I present to you some images of the specimens of Bensour I purchased as soon as they became available after the fall. I was stunned at how many of my tiny complete individuals were not only 100% crusted, but also highly oriented both as shields and teardrops. Under magnification, there is a lifetime to study here. Enjoy these images on this most important birthday.
So as we enter the third decade of The Meteorite Times, let’s all give a sincere and hearty THANK YOU to Paul and Jim for making this possible!
Until next time….
