meteorwrong

plural meteorwrongs · alternative meteorong

1. humorousA rock that is believed to be a meteorite, but is in fact terrestrial in origin; a pseudometeorite.First known use 20th c.

   Unfortunately, the object turned out to be only a “meteorwrong”—although a deceptive one.

   1969, Lincoln LaPaz, Topics in Meteoritics: Hunting Meteorites: Their Recovery, Use, and Abuse from Paleolithic to Present (University of New Mexico Publications in Meteoritics; 6), Albuquerque, N.M.: University of New Mexico Press, →OCLC, page 171

   3 more examples

   A scarlet precipitate (C₈H₁₄N₄O₄Ni) will be present if nickel is present. A negative test for nickel means you have a "meteorwrong." A positive test may indicate you have a meteorite, but since there are many commercial nickel-iron alloys it is not a conclusive test.

   1964, The Griffith Observer, volume 28, Los Angeles, Calif.: Griffith Observatory, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 40, column 1

   Vastly more meteorwrongs are found than meteorites. This should be no surprise. A host of Earth objects—natural and manmade—do indeed look like meteorites, and they are just waiting to be found and to confuse you.

   2008, O. Richard Norton, Lawrence A. Chitwood, “A Gallery of Meteorwrongs”, in Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites, London: Springer-Verlag, →DOI, →ISBN, page 175

   Those who work in the field looking for meteorites keep a magnet with them at all times. This is always the first test; if the meteorite suspect is not magnetic, it is a "meteorwrong." Good collectors learn very quickly how to identify meteorwrongs since what may be represented as a very rare stone meteorite (at $200 a gram!) could turn out to be an expensive piece of junk. The classic meteorwrong is an igneous rock known as a Cumberlandite.

   2010, Mike [Michael] D. Reynolds, “Meteorite Classification”, in Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors and Meteorites, 2nd revised and updated edition, Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, →ISBN, page 63