Category: Books & Research Papers

Books:

For Beginners:

Citizen Scientist (musician and overall very cool guy), John Larsen, initiated this new field of science and wrote a great book on the subject called In Search of Stardust: Amazing Micrometeorites and Their Terrestrial Imposters. John has encouraged people to go out and to findMeteorite not seen to fall, but recovered at some later date. For example, many finds from Antarctica fell 10,000 to 700,000 years ago. Click on Term to Read More their own micrometeorites using just a few simple tools and a technique he outlines on his Project Stardust Facebook page and in his other book On the Trail of Stardust: The Guide to Finding Micrometeorites: Tools, Techniques, and Identification. To learn more about how John began his journey, you can read an excellent article here. Yes, you too may find a micrometeoriteMeteorite so small that it falls to Earth essentially unchanged from how it existed in space. If a meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere is sufficiently small (generally less than 10-6 m), it will be slowed by collisions with molecules in the upper atmosphere to a degree where ablation does not Click on Term to Read More on your roof!

Books for Beginners:

(requires very little knowledge of the subject, other than a keen interest to learn)

Rocks from Space – Meteorites and MeteoriteWork in progress. A solid natural object reaching a planet’s surface from interplanetary space. Solid portion of a meteoroid that survives its fall to Earth, or some other body. Meteorites are classified as stony meteorites, iron meteorites, and stony-iron meteorites. These groups are further divided according to their mineralogy and Click on Term to Read More Hunters (second edition)
By O. Richard Norton, published 467 pages, published 1998
Truly the first book on meteorites anyone should read. Many excellent photographs – most in black and white. Covers all the basics and delves into some more advanced concepts.

 

 

Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites
By O. Richard Norton and Lawrence A. Chitwood, 287 pages, published 2008
The perfect follow-on book to Rocks from Space. Many excellent color photographs, a glossary and an index filled with useful knowledge.

Books for More Advanced Understanding:

(requires a solid foundation in meteorite basics and helps greatly if reader has a collection of meteorites that encompasses all basic types)

Meteorites and their Parent Planets (second edition)
By Harry Y. McSween, 324 pages, published Feb. 1999
This book is my go-to reference. Delves deeper in the science of meteorites.

Books for Amateur Experts to Advanced Geologists:

(Requires excellent foundation in chemistry, physics and planetary geology)

Other Resources:

Over 700 books and articles available online from 1843 to today on many aspects of meteorites. Worth browsing and reading some of the earlier listings in the library.