QUESTIONS ABOUT METEORITE HUNTING “I want to find my own meteorite. Where do I look?”

Meteorite hunting is a difficult and challenging occupation and the best way to succeed is to understand what meteorites are, where they come from, and what equipment and techniques are best suited to find them. Geoff Notkin, CEO of Aerolite Meteorites Inc and star of Science Channel’s multi award-winning adventure series Meteorite Men, has written the definitive guidebook to searching for space rocks. Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space won an IPPY Award as one of the best independently-published science books of the year, and can be ordered directly from us and you can order the ebook here. This groundbreaking work is packed with color photographs, maps and diagrams and also contains an excellent section on meteorite identification. It includes detailed discussions about different types of equipment, hunting strategies, research, and more. “What kind of metal detector and equipment do I need?”

We carry meteorite hunting equipment and the same metal detectors that Geoff used on Meteorite Men. We are always happy to assist with advice and information on meteorite hunting equipment. Learn more about metal detectors >>> “Can I go meteorite hunting with you?”

We regularly hold immersive and action-packed hands-on meteorite hunting training camps where we teach you how to use state-of-the-art metal detectors and other equipment. We share our specialized and exclusive knowledge with you and you get to keep everything you find! Alumni from our training events are then eligible to participate in more adventurous expeditions national and international expeditions with us. Visit our Meteorite Adventures website or watch our exciting YouTube video to learn more!

[above] Our Meteorite Hunting Kit was named

one of the “Top Science Gifts of the Year” by Astronomy magazine

ANSWERS TO SOME COMMON METEORITE-RELATED QUESTIONS “Will I have a better chance of finding a meteorite the day after a meteor shower?”

Meteorites are not associated with annual meteor showers such as the Perseids and the Leonids. The cosmic material that causes those shooting stars is cometary debris — small pieces of ice and rock, frozen and drifting in space, which burn up when they encounter our atmosphere. There has never been a documented case of a meteorite being part of one of the annual meteor showers. “If a meteorite hit my house, shed, barn, etc,. will it burn it down?”

Despite what we may have seen in Hollywood action movies, meteorites are not burning, or even hot, when they land upon the Earth. The glowing fireballs we see in the night sky are caused by atmospheric pressure and friction. Meteors typically stop ablating (burning) seven to ten miles above our planet’s surface, then fall in what is known as “dark flight,” according to the normal acceleration due to gravity. It is very cold at high altitudes, so meteorites cool quickly as they plummet towards the Earth. There has never been a documented case of a burning, or even hot, meteorite landing upon the Earth. If you witnessed a burning object hit the ground it may have been a damaged aircraft, fireworks, UFO, or other unknown object. “I saw a burning fireball land. How do I find it?”

Due to their great brightness, large meteors often create a remarkable optical illusion in which they appear to have hit the ground somewhere nearby. The glowing fireballs we see in the night sky are caused by atmospheric pressure and friction, but meteors stop ablating (burning) far up in the sky — typically seven to ten miles above the Earth’s surface. If an observer witnesses a bright fireball, and the flame goes out while it is directly overhead, a meteorite may land relatively close to the observer. When we watch a bright shooting star apparently land close by, what we are usually seeing is a fireball arcing away, over the horizon, still high up in the atmosphere. Due to the curvature of the Earth, the fireball may seem to hit the ground, but has in fact just moved out of our field of view and gone beyond the horizon. Because of its extreme brightness the fireball appears — to our human eyes — to be much closer than it actually is. Such a phenomenon can be frustrating because it does look as if the meteorite landed “just over there.” However, it probably landed hundreds of miles away due to the extremely high speed of travel. Another thing to consider is that when a meteorite lands near observers, those witnesses often report hearing loud sonic booms, and/or “whizzing” noises. If no sound accompanied the spectacle, then the meteor was probably a considerable distance away. But at least you had the privilege of witnessing a real fireball!

[above] Meteorites can land absolutely anywhere! If you want to find them, it is vital that you understand what they look like and what their properties are. The stone meteorite pictured here was found in a parking lot by Is This A Meteorite? Field Testing Guide author, Geoff Notkin.