How Do You Compare Rocks & Meteorites?
If you’ve ever come across a rock that looked unusual or felt abnormally heavy for its size, you might have wondered if you were holding a meteorite. While it might seem logical to think all rocks are alike, the truth is earth rocks and meteorites are actually quite different from one another. Meteorites fall into three groups: stones, irons and stony-irons and by looking for a few key features, you can know if you have a rock or a meteorite. Perform the magnet test. Almost all meteorites contain iron and nickel. Even stone meteorites contain enough iron to attract a good magnet. Iron and stony-iron meteorites contain so much iron that if they stick to a magnet, you may have difficulty separating them. Many earth rocks will attract magnets, so while this is not a clear-cut test, it can help you distinguish between a rock and a meteorite. Check the weight. Meteorites are dense and they will feel heavier than an earth rock approximately the same size. Check the surface. Meteorites experi
