Is this a star before it hit the ground on Earth?

In summary: It's not listed there as being found in China.I have a rock, I think its a complete star or maybe core meteorite, what do you think about it?In summary, the rock is composed of nickel-iron and has a diameter of 4 cm and a weight of 264 g. It looks like a meteorite, but it is not an actual star. Magnetically, it is not magnetic. It was found in China a few months ago.
  • #1
MeteoriteChina
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0
TL;DR Summary
is this a star before it hit the ground on earth?
hi guys,

I have a rock, I think its a complete star or maybe core meteorite, what do you think about it?

It was found a few months ago in mountains in Shandong Province in China.

desc:
composition:Nickel iron
diameter: 4cm
weight:264g

Regards

Leonard
 

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  • #2
Sure looks 'meteoritic' ! Snag is a lot of launch debris falls out of your sky...

May I suggest trying with a magnet ?

Also, it may be a genuine bolide AKA 'Shooting Star', but it is certainly not an actual star: Due care, please ??
 
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  • #3
Hi Leonard
welcome to PF :smile:

MeteoriteChina said:
Summary:: is this a star before it hit the ground on earth?

I have a rock, I think its a complete star or maybe core meteorite, what do you think about it?

As @Nik_2213 said, not an actual star

Do you realize how big stars like our Sun are ? it's 1000's of times bigger than the Earth and there's
stars 1000's of times bigger than our sun.

I have been collecting meteorites for many years
Yes, it does look like a meteorite ... Tho it is possible that it is an iron concretion and hence
why it's very round.
Why the shiny part? has some one removed some of the outer layer ?
Tho it is very rare to find nicely rounded ones like that. nickel-iron ones ( and most others) tend to have
more varied shapes after their flight through the atmosphere

Assuming it is a meteorite, then that outer dark coating would possibly be a fusion crust

MeteoriteChina said:
desc:
composition:Nickel iron

Where did this description come from ?

Are you in China ?
Did you buy this ?
If so, did it come from a reputable dealer ?
Is it magnetic … a magnet sticks to it ?

Are you able to take another pic of it in natural light please ? ... without the use of a flash
so that there are not reflections from it and slightly better focussed :smile:

I have several Chinese meteorites in my collection and many from all around the world

just a small sample of my meteorites can be seen here …...

http://www.sydneystormcity.com/meteorites.htm ... including a couple of the Chinese onescheers
Dave
 
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  • #4
davenn said:
Do you realize how big stars like our Sun are ? it's 1000's of times bigger than the Earth and there's
stars 1000's of times bigger than our sun.

Did you know that all but about 47 of the stars visible to the naked eye are bigger than the sun?
 
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  • #5
Vanadium 50 said:
Did you know that all but about 47 of the stars visible to the naked eye are bigger than the sun?

yeah, our Sol is but a baby in the big scheme of things :smile:
 
  • #6
Vanadium 50 said:
Did you know that all but about 47 of the stars visible to the naked eye are bigger than the sun?
Hmm, I don't think this is correct.
I downloaded Yale Bright Star Catalog, and filtered for stars with magnitude 6 or less (under excellent conditions, 6.5 could be taken as the limiting value for naked eye observation, but let's be more strict). At least 2756 stars are reported with "higher" spectral type (O, B, A, F, G0, G1) comparing to the Sun's spectral type G2V.

Of course, the real number of stars bigger than the Sun that could be observed depends on location and the current conditions. In cities and suburbs, the number can be even lower than 47.

[Edit]: @Vanadium 50, I am sorry, my bad English. You probably mean, that only about 47 stars of all those visible stars are smaller then Sun. I understood it wrong at my first reading.
Additional question could be, based on what parameter we define "bigger"? Mass or radius? The answer would depend a lot on this choice :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #7
hi davenn ,

Its found in deep mountains in Shandong Province by local a few months ago.

yes it can be attracted by magnet.

please check pics attached.

thx
1.JPG
11.JPG
 
  • #8
MeteoriteChina said:
Its found in deep mountains

If you found it underground, why do you think it fell from the sky?

lomidrevo said:
based on what parameter we define "bigger"

Technically, I used luminosity. But most of these are K's, so you get pretty much the same answer with luminosity, mass or radius.
 
  • #9
got it, thanks guys.
 
  • #10
Got what?

Again, if you found it underground, why do you think it fell from the sky?
 
  • #11
Vanadium 50 said:
Again, if you found it underground, why do you think it fell from the sky?
I don't think that he meant that he found it underground. His phrase "found in deep mountains" very likely means "way off in the mountains" or the equivalent.
 
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  • #12
Mark44 said:
I don't think that he meant that he found it underground. His phrase "found in deep mountains" very likely means "way off in the mountains" or the equivalent.

yeah, exactly ... in a mountainous region of the country

I'm still hanging with my, quite possibly a meteorite, but so rare to find near perfect spheroid ones
one possibility I found was this one ...

O-MET003-Meteorite-1st-pose.jpg


listed as ~ 5.5cm diameter and 150gm

http://www.shaligram.org/index.php?route=product/product&path=111_112&product_id=1210

but looking in the Meteoritical Bulletin, there is no listing for a find there

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php

So I'm not really sure the sale listing is genuine ?
 
Last edited:
  • #13
davenn said:
I'm still hanging with my, quite possibly a meteorite, but so rare to find near perfect spheroid ones
one possibility I found was this one ...

View attachment 253774

listed as ~ 5.5cm diameter and 150gm
Hrm. That works out to a density of only 1.8g/cm3. Not even twice the density of water.
Stony meteorites should have a density of 3-4g/cm3
 
  • #14
DaveC426913 said:
That works out to a density of only 1.8g/cm3.
I get about 2.3 g/cm3 based on the diameter and mass that davenn posted. Some carbonaceous meteorites can have densities of between 1.79 to 2.4 g/cm3, according to the table here - http://meteorites.wustl.edu/id/density.htm.
 
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  • #15
Could it be steel shot? 40 mm is a bit excessive but I have seen a 50mm pistol in the museum of a medieval castle. The tour guide said it was fired once in combat and the target was able to duck. Grapeshot could be 40mm. Hauling artillery is hard in the mountains. A 40mm would be better than not having any artillery.
 

1. What is a star before it hits the ground on Earth?

A star before it hits the ground on Earth is a celestial object that is moving towards Earth's surface. It is typically a large, glowing sphere of gas and dust that emits light and heat.

2. Can a star actually hit the ground on Earth?

No, a star cannot physically hit the ground on Earth. Stars are incredibly large and distant objects, and their immense gravity prevents them from reaching Earth's surface. What may appear to be a star hitting the ground is most likely a meteor or other space debris.

3. How close can a star get to Earth before it hits the ground?

The closest a star can get to Earth before it hits the ground is about 4 light-years away. This is the distance of our closest neighboring star, Proxima Centauri, and it is still over 24 trillion miles away from Earth.

4. What would happen if a star did hit the ground on Earth?

If a star were to somehow hit the ground on Earth, it would have catastrophic effects. The sheer size and energy of a star would cause massive destruction and likely wipe out all life on Earth.

5. Has a star ever hit the ground on Earth in recorded history?

No, there is no record of a star hitting the ground on Earth in recorded history. While meteors and other space debris have been observed entering Earth's atmosphere and sometimes reaching the ground, a star has never been reported to do so.

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