Hallo and wishing you a magical micrometeorite monday!

Today I’m happy to share a new barred olivine (BO-type) micrometeorite measuring approximately 0.3 mm. This marvelous gem has a hole in the front where a nickel-iron bead has disappeared and a rather unusual crystallization of the olivine crystals.

Note also the white specks. These are large magnetite “Christmas tree” crystals, suitable for the season.

I often receive questions about how to find micrometeorites, which is (of course) a topic I love discussing. My collection method is quite simple and only uses basic household items, such as a magnet and several plastic bags.

The most difficult aspect of hunting for stardust is surely identifying cosmic particles among myriad lookalikes of terrestrial origin. This task certainly requires the use of a good microscope and many committed hours learning to crack the code.

If you wish to try collecting and identifying your own micrometeorites, here is a link to a page on our website that provides ample information for free to help you get started.

I also recommend acquiring a copy of my book “How to Find Stardust”, which provides even more information, detailed steps with photographs, and hundreds of color images of micrometeorites that will help you identify micrometeorites using visual characteristics. Once you’ve dipped your toes in and would like extra help fine-tuning your identification skills, then I would recommend my book “In Search of Stardust”. It includes over 1500 color images of micrometeorites and terrestrial imposters!

As always, I welcome your questions and comments about all things micrometeorites! Please connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Yours truly,

Jon Larsen