So my oldest daughter text messaged my wife and I a few weeks ago reminding us it was going to be her birthday soon and to get our present ideas ready, and that she's expecting big things from us.
So I thought to myself, wow, what about a meteorite? Everybody wants a meteorite.....rite? wrong, when I messaged her back about how she would feel about a meteorite she asked if it was a trick question, and that maybe I should let mom decide..ouch.
I sometimes forget not everybody is enthusiastic about things from space as I am. To Celebrate my daughters birthday and to see if there is anyone else out there that likes stuff from space I decided to give away a meteorite here on Black holes.
If you or someone you know is having a birthday, or if you just had yours and I forgot, Happy Birthday, (sorry I forgot but I don't remember any invites coming my way), you have a chance of getting a meteorite, your very own space rock.
All you have to do is comment here it is or was somebodies birthday... and... and, you have to submit a celestial image taken from this time forward to my email address, no contest, just the first one through, I suck at judging. I will post your image and link back to you. If you want to know about the meteorite I'll be giving away,(image below), just click on the Sikhote-Alin meteorite video on my sidebar, it is the best video ever made on how they look for and document a meteorite fall, classic B&W in Russian, with subtitles, love it.
The meteorite at the top of this post is the Pallasite meteorite "Brenham". Your classic looking what people think meteorites should look like meteorite, very pretty.
It is classified as a stony iron meteorite and originates from the mantel/ core boundary of an asteroid. Some of the minerals it contains are Troilite, Chromite, Olivine and Peridot, (the gem quality of Olivine) in a Nickel/Iron matrix.
To date there have been around 50,000 meteorite finds, Pallisites account for only around 60.
The above image was taken with my Celestron LCD Digital Microscope at 100x, shows some of the beautiful Peridot this meteorite contains. Peridot is my birthstone, August, and apparently has some healing properties. It is known as the healer's stone. It is used to clean your auras,regulate your life cycle and emits a friendly energy, too cool to think this one came from space.
I'll leave you with an animation of the above image, it looks like a cave opening on a river when it is animated.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
A Birthday Meteorite
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61 comments:
Your a giving person Bob!
Ohhh! I don't have a current celestial image, I haven't been outside much lately. But that rock would be the coolest present for my husband for his April birthday. You see, he picks up rocks whereever we go, just little rocks. Mainly rocks that look like heart shapes catch his eye but sometime other shapes call to him too. So a rock from space would be waaaay cool.
As always, I am forever fascinated by the stuff you put on your blog, Bob! My birthday is on the 13th this month, a Friday. I plan to get home from work and outside with my dogs and horse to watch the sunset and the first stars of the night. Last night, there was one of those halos around the moon, and it was incredible to see. I didn't think to run inside for my camera, and the one on my cell phone just doesn't do night photography.
The meteorite is incredible. I can't imagine what it would be like to touch something that originated from undifferentiated matter or a piece of a planet or star launched into space. There in your hand would be 'life' from outside the Earth's closed system! Why would give away something so dynamic and rare?
Well, tonight I'll take my camera out with me and see what I can manage to capture. There's two particular light points in the night sky I'd like to know the names of before they are no longer visible.
Wow - you are really lucky to have a piece of your birthstone from space. Mine is a pearl, but I don't think any of those have made it here from space.
Hope you daughter enjoys her birthday - even if it doesn't include a gem from a far away solar system.
Good luck with your contest - you come up with some good ideas!
Just like Theresa, my birthday is on the 13th, and just like Moonshadow, I don't have a celestial image. But I do have a rock from the Arctic Circle that David gave me. And it would be amazing to have a space rock to call my very own! Pick me! Pick me!
My birthday was back in October. Nobody I know has one close to this time. Oh well. I bet it is a humbling feeling to hold something like that in your hand.
On another note, I watched a satellite launch on TV last night. A mission to look for sun-like stars and the Earth-like planets that may be orbiting them. No matter how many times I see a launch like that I still get shivers. This one was especially good to watch as it successfully separated from its booster, unlike another recent launch.
Two months in a row with Friday the 13th!!!??? I was happy I made it through February's, now I have to do it again? ;-)
You have the coolest blog, Bob. Too fun.
I'll email you my apple/moon 'cuz I shot it day before yesterday. Pretty current. My aunt just had a birthday yesterday.
I think a meteorite is an AWESOME gift! I love the one I bought myself, but it doesn't have any pretty crystalline structure in it.
I'm not the first person through but my birthday is in May.
Ps: Why don't you name a star after her.
Bob, darling, I'm heartbroken. My daughter's first birthday is this Wednesday (March 11) and I'd love to have her get a piece of meteorite, but I highly doubt I could get you a picture first. But I love that you thought of us and were willing to share one of your fabulous meteorites. Plus, I would likely be completely ashamed of any picture I sent you.
I will, however, send you a picture of the moon I'm PAINTING on the wall as we speak. It will glow in the dark when I'm done (assuming all goes well). I WILL take one, too. Just in case :)
Usually better to give then to receive Roger, thanks for the nice comment.\m/\m/
Hi Moonshadow, I used to collect all kinds of rocks too, we'd get along just fine, hey go snap an image of the Moon tonight if your skies are clear, may get him a space rock yet,lol.\m/\m/
Thanks Theresa, Birthday on Friday the 13th, at least it isn't the 13th tonight, might be a good time to try and snap a celestial scene, good luck with the pic taking.
Why I am giving away a meteorite, well I just like to share the feeling of holding something special.
Now for the two bright objects in the sky, besides the Moon, one will be Venus, it is in the west. The second would be the star Sirius, it will be in the south-south west, but also Saturn is out and about as well, it will be a little higher and in the south east.Thanks for dropping by.\m/\m/
Thanks Kathy, we got, I should say my wife got her, or thought of some tickets to some event, I forget which event, She told me but I forgot, probably still thinking about the meteorite rejection,lol.\m/\m/
Lol Jan, two people with a birthday on the 13th.
You have a rock from the Arctic circle, now that is very cool.\m/\m/
Hi Will, the Kepler mission was launched, I got some info from NASA yesterday, was going to blog about it then I forgot,lol.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/06mar_keplerlaunch.htm?list1105280
Will I also shiver when I see those rockets take off, I used to get goosebumps when the Apollo missions launched,lol.
Lol about the 13th twice, I usually have good luck on Friday the 13ths, which I always thought was odd.
Thanks Genie, that apple Moon picture was excellent, what originality.
It may be a winner yet if no one else sends one in, keep your fingers crossed. I will post it regardless because of the coolness factor.\m/\m/
Hi Rose , that would have been a good idea, maybe next time, maybe if I suggest a meteorite and a star named after her,lol.\m/\m/
Stephanie, my Daughter's birthday is on the 11th as well, wow, our kids were born on the same day same month, must be a good omen.
I would love to see your glow in the dark painting of the Moon,I used to have blacklights and nets and blacklight posters in my bedroom in my younger days,I would have loved a glow in the dark Moon maybe we could work something out.\m/\m/
Bob:
You certainly have given away numerous gifts this last year. Because of you, there are a lot of happy 3-D people running around seeing the world in green, red and blue. Well done.
Those are definitely cool meteorite images. I love you little digital microscope. Very cool.
Happy stargazing.
No such luck on the photos tonight. It's cloudy, a front coming up from the south that promises huge storms tomorrow. :(
The stars I was thinking of (though you did name one of them, Sirius, which I didn't know) are the bottom right of Orion, and a bright star to the left of Orion, on a straight line off the bottom left star of Orion. (I can't believe I figured out how to explain it!)
Jan, it's been a long, long time since I've run into someone with the same birthday! Happy Birthday to you!!
Thanks for dropping by my blog, Bob! You ARE a giving person!
Lol, thanks swubird, yep quite a few people now have awesome 3D glasses, opens up a whole new different world.\m/\m/
Thanks Theresa, too bad about the clouds, I hear ya on that, we have our fair share.
Sirius is the bright star off and below Saiph, the lower left star of Orion, Orion's right foot, the only bright point of light off the right of Orion is Rigel itself, which represents Orion's left foot.
The constellation to the right and a little lower then Orion is Eridanus, it contains no bright stars that I know of, so I'm not too sure which star other then Rigel that you are noticing.\m/\m/
You know, looking at your close-up of the peridot, I can't help but be impressed with the color. Most of the peridot I've seen (it's my daughter's birthstone as well, my older daughter) is yellowy-green, but this is a vivid and much deeper bluish green. It's really gorgeous.
I'll show my older daughter when she get's back from her dad's.
Hi Stephanie, the deeper green is due to the higher iron content, more rare and precious.\m/\m/
I sent you last night's moon, Bob! I wish the sky hadn't been so bright, I'd have liked to have shot the stars or a planet (or both) instead.
Congratulations Genie!! You win the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite, I will send it off tomorrow.\m/\m/
Thanks for putting names to those stars for me, Bob!
Congratulations, Genie!!
:o :O :-o :-O AWESOME! Thank you Bob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Santa Claus Bob! I have the glasses you sent! Happy Birthday to your daughter!
@Genie: Congrats!
No problem Theresa.\m/\m/
You're welcome Genie, let me know when you get it.\m/\m/
Ho Ho Ho Priyank,lol, glad you got the glasses and thanks for the Birthday wishes.\m/\m/
LOL your daughter just doesn't appreciate the finer things in life, does she? Probably wants something boring like jewelry or a car or a tattoo. ;-)
Awesome microscope pictures.
I got my lighthouse finished! I will have to put up pix.
Bob,
It has been my husband's dream all of his life to go into outer space.
His birthday was just last February the 1st. Mine was January 23rd.
Neither of us got to be togehter on our birthday.
This would be such a special and dear gift to him.
He collects rocks now from all
over while driving.
Also we have a grandson that has the same passion for rocks and meteorites.
if you're not joking...I certainly am not. I would love to have this for my husband.
And yes next time it's best to leave the gift ideas for your daughter up to mom!!
Have a great week!!:-)
I have been doing some testing in the Lab on some of these geological finds. They are fascinating.
Lol Marvin, go figure, yes I would like to see the lighthouse and hear about the UFO incident as well.\m/\m/
Shinade I was serious, so sad you didn't get to send a picture in, I am sending it off to Genie who sent me in a Moon picture last night. I will be doing another give away meteorite for a celestial image in the coming months, I will let you know when right after I post.\m/\m/
Dr. Lauren, you do such interesting work, if you can, can you send me some of your results, only if you can , doesn't have to be the top secret stuff, anything will do.\m/\m/
Heartwarming story and great info as well as beautiful shots! Happy birthday for your daughter! ;-) (I hope you find a present she likes! ;-))
Hey Lord of the Astropics!
LOL LOL LOL well, at least your daughter is honest and knows what she wants :D!
Woah...what a gorgeous Sikhote-Alin meteorite! It is black, right? All black...
"It is used to clean your auras,regulate your life cycle and emits a friendly energy, too cool to think this one came from space." - wow...but I am not surprised..I mean, it is said that planets and the everything in the universe influence our personality depending on their position upon our birth, so it is natural that pieces of it clean our auras.
Your animation picture reminds me of a cave opening from where water flows...it is so mystical, so feminine! Well done :D!
Bob, I wish you a magnificent week, and thank you so much for this marvellous post :D!
Cheers
Good post and I enjoy the images and animations on your site. I would love to participate in your contest, however, I am not a photographer or have the capicity to handle images on my dial-up connection. Your site is one of only a handful that I will wait from 20 - 30 minutes for the site to fully load due to the images and a dial-up speed less than 28.8. Good luck with the contest.
Thanks Anne, My wife did get my daughter a nice present some tickets to an event which I forgot,lol.\m/\m/
Lol, Max, and it wasn't a meteorite.
The Sikhote-Alin is all black except under a microscope, it looks different, all kinds of colors, very cool. God point Max about the fact that some people believe planets and the universe influencing our personalities so why not cleaning our auras.
Thanks for dropping by and have a great week Max.\m/\m/
Thanks Mike and thanks for waiting for my site to download, hope it was worth the wait.\m/\m/
Happy Birthday to your daughter! I'm sure she will enjoy the show tickets a bit more ;o)
Congrats to Genie on winning! Have to be little faster next time you do a giveaway :o)
Wow, I want one of the meteorites. I don't have any pictures though, oh well. My Birthday is not until July. Oh but my Grandson is having his birthday this month and he loves all celestial things. He has planets handing all over his room. I think he is one of your relatives, LOL!
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
Thanks Ivanhoe, I'm sure my daughter will appreciate your birthday wishes, yep, gotta be quick on the draw here,lol.\m/\m/
Hi AngelBaby, hey I might have another contest around that time, I'll let you know, lol about your grandson being a relative.\m/\m/
wow, you have such a big heart to give away a treasured collection. i too collects interesting rocks whenever and wherever i stumble upon those than interest me, and wow, i do not think i have any rocks from space. congratulations to genie.
That is amazing that you have a meteorite and even more amazing that you are generous enough to give it away. Unfortunately, not everyone shares our interests, my girlfriend doesn't like hunting. Nonetheless, very nice.
Check out my blog at http://5minutegetsmart.blogspot.com/
Thanks betchai, hey I used to collect all kinds of rocks too,decided to get into collecting meteorites, although I still do pick up the odd rock now and again.\m/\m/
Thanks Tyrannt, I checked out your blog, it's very informative and you explain things so the average person can understand.\m/\m/
What a GREAT idea, Bob!!! I can't wait to hear who won the meteorite. Isn't it funny how kids don't turn out exactly like their parents. :D I always thought I would have little versions of me but nope. LOL
FANTASTIC pics and post. :D I can't wait to see what is next!!!
The Peridot looks AWESOME in rough form.
Happy Birthday wishes to your daughter.
I'll have a new post up by Thursday. Am working on a project. :D
Hugs, JJ
You're too funny, Bob! Ouch is right, but she'd best leave it to her mom.
I'd love to win your meteorite but I don't do night photography of the skies, especially not when it's still raw and chilly outside. Brrrr....
Just one question: with all those elements in it, is it radioactive? (I used to own a Geiger counter but decide that since it was very old, it might not be hermetically sealed anymore. No place for isotopes in my house...)
Just curious--what did you end up getting your daughter? A telescope? :) :)
PS - You've done another lovely and creative animated GIF!
Thanks JJ, lol, My youngest is much like me, the oldest is like her mother and it is funny, thanks as well for the birthday wishes, I'll keep an eye out for your next post.\m/\m/
Thanks Lynda, actually I get asked if meteorites are radioactive a lot, no they aren't, My wife got her tickets to an event that escapes me right now,lol. So glad you like the GIF s well.\m/\m/
Hey Bob I should read from bottom up next time, lol. You are one giving person. I will be sending you something, not celestial body picture, just some cool info, but knowing you, you probably know it! Anna :)
Hey Anna, thanks a lot.\m/\m/
Thanks for this nice post.
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