How to Identify a Meteorite

This is a series of eight pages. My presumption is that you have found a rock that you think is a meteorite. You want to identify that rock. The intent is that you start here and work your way sequentially through the pages. At the end you will have a better idea whether or not your rock is a meteorite--but there will be more to do.

  1. This is the starting place and the first question--you are here now.
  2. This page is for people who saw the meteorite fall--or thought they saw it fall.
  4. Here we look at meteorite shape.
  5. Most meteorites will attract a magnet. This page discusses this aspect.
  6. This page discusses some other meteorite characteristics.
  7. This page shows you some things that meteorites almost never have.
  8. Here I tell you how to prove once and for all that your rock is or is not a meteorite.

Start here:

What you saw--Choose one:

I saw the rock fall from the sky
  or I found a hot rock, or a rock that had caused a fire
  or I found the rock in a crater
I did not see the rock fall from the sky--I just found a rock







Back to The Meteorite Market home page.