Is meteroite radioactive?

M

mstag

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I was just wondering because it comes from outerspace ; and i would think maybe some radioactive elements can be mixed in ? Just wondering thanks for the help.
 
No -- at least I've never heard of a meteorite being found with any significant amount of radioactivity.
 
While there may not have been found any meteorites with radioactive material as such, those that are recovered are measured for induced radioactivity, whic is what they have picked up from floating around in space. From this the original size of the thing can be guesstimated.
 
For the most part, such objects are made up of solar-system "junk" in the form of chunks of leftover debris from early collisons, major impacts, etc. This stuff has been floating around for a very long time, and likely even if there were some significant amounts of naturaly-occurring radioactive material, like pitchblende, it would have long since decayed.

Many are chunks of various rocks, others may be metallic. Nickle-Iron being fairly common.

There was actually a plan to "recover" the presumed large chunk of iron that was responsible for the Arizona crater during WWII, due to the shortage of metal. Some thought there would be a big, useful hunk of metal down there.
Alas, never found; the thing would have vaporized on impact.
 
I reseached meteorites some years back due to a renewed interest that the net could tell me more about one that my mom has. I never noticed any mentions of radiation (likely for the reason outlined by mwerner).
The one we have is a nickel-iron type about 3" across and roughly resembles a flying saucer. It was seen by my grandfather to go down in a breakwater or jetty on the Chicago shore of Lake Michigan. This was during the Depression and he would go there on days he couldn't find work. Story is that it took him 3 days to locate it among the large granite blocks. There is a chunk missing from one edge where it impacted the stones. It was a hell of a Show n Tell when I was a kid.... :eek:
Several universities as well as 'sellers' have good meteorite websites.
 
Most meteorites are not appreciably radioactive.

A rare few are slightly radioactive.
 
When the Brits under John Barrow were looking for the North West passage in the 19c there is mention of the natives using knives made from metal found on the surface that they assumed to be from a meteorite/s.
 
Depends on what you consider to be "radioactive". What kind of house do you live in ? It's not entirely unlikely that your house is far more "radioactive" than your regular meteorite.
 
Will my tinfoil beanie prevent my mind from being x-zapped by radon gas in addition to blocking gummint probes and keeping the tigers from dropping out of the ceiling? :confused:
 
I can only relay the opinion of the individual we brought into the station a couple of years back. He had a hard hat lined with tinfoil, and claimed it kept the voices pretty much under control...
 
Merek said:
Will my tinfoil beanie prevent my mind from being x-zapped by radon gas in addition to blocking gummint probes and keeping the tigers from dropping out of the ceiling? :confused:
Click to expand...


Unfortunately, tinfoil beanies only work on reducing and or blocking "governmental encrypted transmissions/signals." :D
 
An excellent range of hats can be found HERE

Also, some important information regarding the latest technological developments in tinfoil hats can be seen HERE
 
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