Do I have a meteorite?
Probably not...
Because your specimen does not have the most common characteristics of a meteorite, it is likely a terrestrial rock. Terrestrial rocks that are mistaken for meteorites are called "meteorwrongs".
Two common meteorwrongs are the iron oxide minerals hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4, example pictured below).
Most minerals leave a characteristic colored streak when scraped along the unglazed surface of a ceramic tile or coffee mug. You can do this test at home, using the ceramic ring on the bottom of a coffee cup, but be careful to not break the cup! Hematite leaves a red-brown streak and magnetite leaves a gray-black streak. Other minerals may leave brown, black, green-black, gray, or even yellow streaks.
If your specimen does not leave a streak, you may have a piece of slag: a man-made industrial byproduct of the mining and metallurgy industries.
Slag (photos of examples above) is often made up of metal, sometimes combined with metal oxides and/or sulfides, and many additional components (silica, calcium, etc.). Slag is often magnetic, and may appear similar to some meteorites, so be wary of this meteorite impostor! It can be found almost anywhere, even in what might be considered “the middle of nowhere”, because slag is commonly used for fill in roads or train tracks.
Visit the meteorwrongs photo gallery at Washington University in St. Louis to view some examples of meteorite impostors.
Possibly...
While your specimen has some of the common characteristics of a meteorite, the Center cannot conclusively identify it as a meteorite unless we examine it in person. Please fully complete the Center for Meteorite Studies Meteorite Identification Form and Policy Checklist and send it with your specimen.
Specimens sent to the Center will only be identified if the Meteorite Identification Form and Policy Checklist accompany the specimen.
Please carefully read our policies before sending us your specimen.

