As normally, when one thing leads to another, I was looking at the images of various expositions and ran into an image related to the 1905 Lewis and Clarke Expo in Portland. Below, Ladies and Gentlemen is a meteorite, or so they say.
Most iron meteorites like Willamette have originated from the differentiated core of planetesimals or asteroids that collided with another object. Willamette has a recrystallized structure with only traces of a medium Widmanstätten pattern; it is the result of a significant impact-heating event on the parent body. The Willamette Meteorite contains higher concentrations of various metals that are quite rare in Earth's crust. For example, iridium, one of the least abundant elements in Earth's crust, is found in the Willamette Meteorite at a concentration of 4.7 ppm, thousands of times more concentrated than in the crust.
Unobtainium
where is it?The word unobtainium derives humorously from unobtainable with the suffix -ium, the conventional designation for a chemical element. In fiction, engineering, and thought experiments, unobtainium is any fictional, extremely rare, costly, or impossible material, or (less commonly) device needed to fulfill a given design for a given application. The properties of any particular unobtainium depend on the intended use. For example, a pulley made of unobtainium might be massless and frictionless; however, if used in a nuclear rocket, unobtainium might be light, strong at high temperatures, and resistant to radiation damage. The concept of unobtainium is often applied flippantly or humorously.
KD: We have Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, Phosphorus, Iridium but... WHERE IS UNOBTANIUM. Every single so-called meteorite found on Earth contained only the elements presented in the Mendeleev's Periodic Table. Are we supposed to believe that out of those thousands of meteorites...
In my opinion, there is not enough evidence out there to say that these chunks of solidified molten iron (rock, etc) came from space. How else can contemporary scientists explain a 15 ton chunk of metal located in the middle of the woods? Sure they won't say this:
Well, this is just my (super crazy sounding) opinion on the issue pertaining to Willamette Meteorite, as well as all the other "natural" things to ever fall from above.
Sources:
Willamette Meteorite
On display, Lewis and Clark Exposition, Portland, Oregon, 1905
The Willamette Meteorite, officially named Willamette, is an iron-nickel meteorite found in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest meteorite found in North America and the sixth largest in the world.On display, Lewis and Clark Exposition, Portland, Oregon, 1905
Willamette Meteorite being moved
- There was no impact crater at the discovery site
- The Willamette Meteorite was originally found in the Willamette Valley of Oregon near the modern city of West Linn.
- Researchers believe the meteorite landed in what is now Canada or Montana
- It was transported as a glacial erratic to the Willamette Valley during the Missoula Floods at
- The transport happened at the end of the last Ice Age (~13,000 years ago)
- It was long held sacred by indigenous peoples of the Willamette Valley
- including the federally recognized Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (CTGRC)
- it came to prominence due to the actions of settler Ellis Hughes in 1902
- The indigenous peoples referred to this stone with the name Tomanowos (a Chinook word meaning "spiritual power")
- The meteorite is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which acquired it in 1906
- In 2005, the CTGRC sued to have the meteorite returned to their control but they were unsuccessful
- The Willamette Meteorite weighs about 32,000 pounds (15,000 kg).
- Its dimensions are: 10 feet (3 m) tall X 6.5 feet (2 m) wide X 4.25 feet (1.3 m) deep
- It is composed of
- over 91% iron and
- 7.62% nickel
- has traces of cobalt and phosphorus
Most iron meteorites like Willamette have originated from the differentiated core of planetesimals or asteroids that collided with another object. Willamette has a recrystallized structure with only traces of a medium Widmanstätten pattern; it is the result of a significant impact-heating event on the parent body. The Willamette Meteorite contains higher concentrations of various metals that are quite rare in Earth's crust. For example, iridium, one of the least abundant elements in Earth's crust, is found in the Willamette Meteorite at a concentration of 4.7 ppm, thousands of times more concentrated than in the crust.
Unobtainium
where is it?
- To date, there have been nearly 1,100 recovered falls (meteorites seen to fall) and nearly 40,000 finds (found, but not seen to fall). It is estimated that probably 500 meteorites reach the surface of the Earth each year, but less than 10 are recovered.
In my opinion, there is not enough evidence out there to say that these chunks of solidified molten iron (rock, etc) came from space. How else can contemporary scientists explain a 15 ton chunk of metal located in the middle of the woods? Sure they won't say this:
- Here, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the remains of some ancient M1 Abrams Tank. It was destroyed 350 years ago during the War of Gods.
Well, this is just my (super crazy sounding) opinion on the issue pertaining to Willamette Meteorite, as well as all the other "natural" things to ever fall from above.
Sources:
