[skeeter (OP)]

Was out last week in Kansas hunting in the prairie and found 4 small objects that just seemed out of place on the light tan sand.  I found all four in an area of about 500yds square.  The largest is about the size of a penny and they are very dark in color bordering between very dark brown, black with a rust color on some portions (not as red as picture shows).  They are very smooth with some obvious melting characteristics.  They are not magnetic, but do not seem to be rock.  The area I was at is about 10,000 acres and all of it is very uninhabited dry course sand with little rock to be found.  They were all found lying on the surface.  Was wondering if they could be Tektite Meteorites?  Thanks

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[RD]

Is It a Tektite???

While many tektites appear opaque black in reflected light, all will transmit light along thin edges with strong backlighting. Check the color.

Australasian , Ivory Coast, Tibetan, and Bediasite tektites are a molasses-brown with greenish tinges. Moldavites are shades of olive to emerald green, and can be quite transparent. Georgiaites are golden amber with olive green tinges. Libyan Desert Glass is straw yellow. ... The transmitted light color is never gray. (Lilac-violet remains an issue, but is probably negative).

http://www.tektitesource.com/Tektite_tests.html


[BTW on my screen your find looks purple-violet, but that could be due to the lighting when you took the photo] 

Tektites are made of terrestrial material so aren't meteorites ... http://meteorites.wustl.edu/realities.htm

[skeeter (OP)]

Hi RD,

Thanks for the response.  All are molasses brown with slight green or red tints when heald in strong back lighting.  However all were found by me in Kansas.  Is this an area previously known for impact and possible Tektites?  Only thing I could find on the internet related to meteorites and Kansas was one very large recorded meteorite found in 2004?

I did the microwave test and placed one in the mirowave for 1 minute and cooked it on high.  No bubbles, no froth and was very cool to the touch when I took it out.

I am working on the S.G (specific gravity) test now.  I will record my results and post them here.  Thanks

[JimBob]

They do look like the ones found here in Texas And Other places in the US

http://www.meteorites-for-sale.com/catalog/bediasite-tektites.html

[RD]

Your find looks similar to (Antartic) Meteorites ...

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 http://meteorites.wustl.edu/mugshots/s90-37027.htm

[frethack]

Im going to agree with RD on this one.  I dont think they are tektites, but it is possible that they are meteorites.

The outer portions appear to have a fusion crust, and though they are not magnetic, they could still be chondrite meteorites.  Its difficult to tell from pictures, but you might have someone at your local university take a look.  If they are meteorites, they are actually worth a little bit of money.

Here are examples of chondrites...there are also other meteorite possibilities...or they could just be rocks.

[RD]

Apparently, generally speaking, the odds are not good ...

 

I’ve been contacted by more than 1200 persons who were “amateurs” in that they were not experienced meteorite hunters and had one or more rocks that they thought might be a meteorite.
To the best of my knowledge, only four of those people had found a real meteorite.

http://meteorites.wustl.edu/what_to_do.htm


Haematite seems to be the most common "Meteorwrong" but would be revealed by streak test.

[frethack]

Apparently, generally speaking, the odds are not good ...

RD is correct about this...the odds are pretty slim.

Haematite seems to be the most common "Meteorwrong" but would be revealed by streak test.

I dont think they are magnetite or hematite because both of these have iron, which gives them magnetic properties.  For some reason, the term "meteorwrong" is hilarious to me....hehehe.

[Mazurka]

The samples certainly resemble the little bits of meterorite I have seen/ handled.

I think there are a few known meterorites (of various flavours) found in Kansas.  Might be worth looking at / contacting www.kansasmeteorite.com

A Czech Geologist I know regualrly goes looking for (Moldavaite) tekites  (from the Reis impact) in recently ploughed fields to sell.  He has commented that it is the only thing Germany has every given the Czechs for free...