Meteorite Internet Sites
By Martin G. Horejsi

Last August, when the "Life Found on a Martian Meteorite" story broke, I imagine most of us scrambled to find all the news as fast as we could. For those of us who surf the net, the news around world was at our fingertips.

When I first heard about the story, I jumped on-line and hit a virtual newspaper to find the sources of this new discovery. Then, I logged onto the NASA site to get the latest downloads about the research, including pictures. Then I found a link to the journal Science and printed the article in its entirety, including color pictures, graphs, and charts. From there, I went to space agency sites for updates, reactions, and current Mars information. Then to the online press conference. The entire journey through the Mars meteorite madness took less than an hour, and I had almost 100 pages of text, pictures, and press conference transcripts to show for it.

With over 20 million Internet sites, the explosive growth of this popular medium offers a powerful communication tool for our group of geographically diverse meteorite enthusiasts.

This is a review of the Internet sites offering information specific to meteorites. When I started this review more than a year ago, there were less than half the number of meteorite sites as there are now. My views are based upon more than two years of watching sites evolve, consulting with site designers, offering materials to sites, and participation in online activities. At the time of this writing, I attempted to locate all the sites that fit within the scope of this review. I apologize in advance to anyone who's site was missed.

The first three sites mentioned here are especially good at consolidating the many different arenas involving meteorites. Although many other sites offer excellent information, these first three sites offer little or nothing for sale, and are packed full of information, pictures, and interactive capabilities. Also, although all the Internet addresses are given, it is best to go to a site such as one of the first two reviewed and use their links page to connect to other sites.

Meteorite Central

http://www.jonesville.com/meteor/index.shtml

Meteorite Central went on-line February 5, 1996, and is the first meteorite site to promote a chat group, and push the email capabilities of the Internet. For those who miss the regular Monday night chats, there is a bulletin board which allows a question/answer discussion to be archived and added to by anyone with email. In addition, you can post classified ads free of charge, send cosmic picture postcards, and read book reviews. Another wonderful service the sitemasters are supporting is an email distribution list for subscribers. This free service connects all subscribers to one email list. Everything written to this list is distributed to all other subscribers. If you are not on this list, you are missing wonderful stories and information about meteorites. Luckily, the hosts are archiving the email dialog in an easily searchable form. One more feature worthy of mention is the links to other sites are each given a short overview of their content.

The Meteorite Exchange

http://www.meteorite.com/

The Meteorite Exchange is a clearinghouse of meteorite information. Paul Harris and Jim Tobin, the sitemasters, are always pushing this site in new directions, and there is so much to see and do here. This site, which began formal operation in January of 1996, is loaded with features as well as plenty of links to other meteorite-related sites. There is a meteorite auction page, books for sale, and free classified ads for the public. The Meteorite Exchange has the most extensive collection of meteorite pictures on the Net, and there is a list of meteorite dealers which prints out nicely as one long list.

There is a festive nature about this site including several ways to interact with it. Also offered are personal observations, stories, research projects, news, advice for preparing specimens, and even a Meteorite Kids page including the kids from the Meteorite Market site. Also, meteorite enthusiasts are invited to contribute articles to the Guest Impacts page to share their adventures with others.

New England Meteoritical Services

http://www.meteorlab.com/

The NEMS site is a powerful educational tool. The solid construction and hyperlinking throughout the site gives the viewer the feeling of using a multimedia CD ROM. A detailed glossary of meteorite terms is connected to
many other pages allowing the user to bounce in and out of the definitions while reading through the material. NEMS offers a photo gallery which is also linked to related topics. The gallery represents about 20 different localities, and all have detailed explanations that are cross-referenced with more pictures and with the glossary. The NEMS site also supports an online quiz, collecting advice, a brief history of meteoritics, and offers access to a free catalog of NEMS meteorites and services.

Russ Kempton, the director of NEMS, made sure that this site embraces the power of new multi-branching technologies. All related information is linked together, which allows the user to move through this site in whatever direction is of interest. There is even a page with suggestions on how to navigate through the site.

The next group of sites provide a large amount of information as well as offering meteorites for sale.

The Meteorite Market

http://www.alaska.net/~meteor

The Meteorite Market is one of the Net's meteorite pioneers, and has undergone many changes since its start on July 17, 1995. The host, Erik Twelker, was the first on the Net to provide a picture of each meteorite for sale at his site. He is now, according to my observations, also the first to offer a page of unnamed meteorite pictures so the viewer can choose specimens according to looks.

Educational information is abundant, and there are many photo links sprinkled throughout the text. The detailed information about meteorites is extensive, and in my mind, this site ranks as one of the best educational sites on the Internet _ regardless of the subject. Surfing this site is like using a multimedia program. The thorough use of hypertext links connect definitions, pictures, maps, and a glossary of minerals found within meteorites.

Besides The Meteorite Market's many meteorites for sale, tektites, books and display stands are also offered. This site is really an on-line catalog where you can spend time leisurely looking at pictures and reading about the specimens. This is an excellent site for both the meteorite hobbyist and for those interested in learning about the educational power of the Internet.

Unique to The Meteorite Market is legal advice about meteorite related issues. Given Erik Twelker's training as both a lawyer and geologist (according to his online resume), he is in a comfortable position to answer questions about the legality of ownership. He even tackles the question of the respectability of meteorite collecting.

Michael I. Casper Meteorites, Inc.

http://www.meteorites.com/index.html

This site has two main strengths: education and inventory. The educational information is well-written, and offered in bite-sized definitions which include specifics about all major classifications of meteorites.

The inventory is alphabetical, with few specimens under $100. The meteorites listed are amazing. The inventory reads like a museum catalog. Many main masses are available, including the suspected main mass of Holbrook at 6.9 kg. Yours for only $75,000!

Swiss Meteorite Lab

http://www.meteorite.ch/

The SML site started up on February 16, 1995 and has evolved rapidly, embracing much of the new Internet technology. The SML site is supported by Rolf Bühler who curates the Swiss Center of Meteoritics. In the future, Mr. Bühler hopes this site will "become a meeting point for everybody interested in meteorites." Also, his plans include information pages with news about meteoritics.

Dozens of different meteorites and tektites are for sale, and there is even a separate page filled with micromount specimens. Picture links are abundant, and Special Offer pages occasionally provide many more pictures of the selected localities. There is even a picture of the micromounts for sale. The power of the Internet as a retail medium is apparent with the Special Offer pages. A couple of the localities recently offered on the Internet sold rapidly which left little or no material available for those who waited for the regular mailed-out listing.

The third group of sites are primarily commercial in nature.

Bethany Sciences

http://www.rahul.net/resource/regular/products/bethany-sciences/

As one of the first Internet meteorite sites, Bethany Sciences has not developed to the extent of its beautiful catalog. However, this site has instructions on how to receive the Bethany Sciences Catalog free of charge.

Erich and Sylvia's Meteorites and Moldavites

http://www.meteorite.com/Erichs/

This Austrian site offers about 20 meteorite localities for sale as well as some minerals and tektites. Pictures are available for many of the specimens.

Robert A. Haag Meteorites

http://www.novaspace.com/METEOR/Meteor.html

This newcomer to the Internet offers information about both Haag and meteorites. Currently, few meteorites are for sale, but this is the only site offering a Gibeon guitar pick, among other items of interest. All items for sale are pictured.

Magic Mountain Meteorites

http://www.theriver.com/magic_mountain/

This site, which is all on one long page, opens with an interesting story by Gary W. Kronk about meteorites and Native Americans. Information is provided about both meteorites in general, and about the specimens available for sale, of which over 35 different localities are offered. However no prices or sizes are listed. For that information, you must email Magic Mountain directly.

The Meteorite Express

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6717/

This site offers consumer information for the meteorite collector. Topics covered include dealer information, the market availability of specific classifications, and even a pricing guide. A gallery of images is also supported.

Meteorite Magazine

http://meteoritemag.uark.edu

This site was set up to promote Meteorite magazine. Subscription information and advertising rates are given, along with the table of contents from the current issue as well as all past issues. The main link page is full of commercial meteorite sites, meteorite information, and related astronomy sites.

This site posts the full text of several of the Centerpiece articles from past issues. Although it is wishful thinking that the entire issue will go on-line, the inclusion of these articles gives non-subscribers a taste of the quality and depth of information Meteorite offers its readers.

The Meteorite Page

http://133.1.104.129/metpage.html

The homepage of The Meteorite Page site has a copyright date of October 1995, but as of this writing, only one out of five links is up. The remaining four pages are still under construction. Currently, the single operational link involves the sale of meteorite specimens. About 25 localities are represented including a few rare achondrites.

Michael Blood Meteorites

http://www.meteorite.com/Michael_Blood/

This site offers a listing of specimens for sale, as well as several articles. One interesting feature of this dealer's price list is his running commentary about the specimens which often includes interesting tidbits of information, history, and the opinions of Michael Blood.

Mile High Meteorites

http://www.mhmeteorites.com

Matt Morgan, who supports this site, offers about 15 different meteorites for sale. Also includes is a gallery of images, and a map of meteorite discovery locations in Colorado.

Mineralogical Research Company

http://www.minresco.com/

MRC offers many different meteorites and tektites for sale among their huge inventory of terrestrial minerals. Stands, boxes, and display lights are also part of their business, as well as mineral books of which about a dozen are specific to meteorites. In fact, they advertise copies of John A. O'Keefe's Tektites and Their Origin, still wrapped in plastic, apparently in storage for the past 20 years. Also, representative pictures are posted for almost everything offered at this site.

The meteorites from the David Bowers Collection are listed for sale, and organized in an alphabetical fashion. Only one letter can be viewed at a time meaning it takes at least 52 mouse clicks to access the entire collection listing. However, the many rare specimens and main masses make the trip worthwhile.

R. A. Langheinrich Meteorites

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/meteorite/

Alan Lang's meteorite site offers many meteorites for sale including several extremely rare specimens. The gallery of images is well worth a look, and the pictures load quite fast given their size and clarity. The Peekskill meteorite is highlighted as is the car it crashed into. This site also offers a complete listing of all the specimens for sale listed in a format designed to be printed out in hardcopy.

Walter Zeitshel Meteorite Collection

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Joerg_Zeitschel/homepage.htm

Zeitshel's page is exclusively commercial with a listing of 25 localities, all priced in Deutschemarks.

The final category of sites are educational with little or no commercial application.

Phil Bagnall's Meteors and Meteorites Page

http://www.ticetboo.demon.co.uk/met.htm

Phil Bagnall, the author of The Meteorite and Tektite Collector's Handbook, supports a dozen pictures and a couple of articles on his site. Many of the pictures are from localities not pictured elsewhere on the Net. Information about his book is also provided.

Dutch Meteor Society

http://home.pi.net/~terkuile/meteors/dms-www/meteorit.htm

This site supports an extensive collection of photos and information about the Mbale fall, among others.

Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico

http://eps001.unm.edu/iom/home.htm

The UNM site includes their entire meteorite catalog. Careful here, however, if you hit the print button to get a hardcopy of the catalog, be ready for over 250 pages!

Meteorites from Antarctica

www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/antmet/antmet.htm

The Johnson Space Center hosts this site which started in September of 1994. Although designed mainly for the researcher, the hobbyist will find valuable information as well as a look inside the research-end of meteoritics. Posted are good pictures and graphics pertaining to Antarctica and the meteorites found there.

The Meteoritical Bulletin

http://www.uark.edu/studorg/metsoc/metbull.htm

This page links to online copies of the Meteoritical Bulletin. In fact, the latest online bulletin currently posted will not be published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science until two months after this review is published. Also posted for some of the specimens is a link to a map showing the location of the discovery.

The Meteoritical Society

http://cavern.uark.edu/studorg/metsoc/

This is the Society's homepage offering detailed information about all aspects of the organization. The Society's newsletters are posted, as is the Society's constitution. Also, surplus issues of several Smithsonian Contributions are offered for free to those interested.

Meteoritics & Planetary Science

http://spacecenter.uark.edu

This site promotes the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science. It offers a free issue of the journal, lists available back issues, and provides article submission criteria.

Meteors and Meteorites

http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/meteorites.html

Like Meteoroids and Meteorites, this resource site has a meteorite section, but also contains hundreds of space-related links. A plethora of pictures, definitions, data, and even sounds are provided.

Meteoroids and Meteorites

http://bang.lanl.gov/solarsys/meteor.htm

Meteoroids and Meteorites is hosted by Calvin J. Hamilton. It is part of a collection of pages under the name "Views of our Solar System" and billed as an educational tour of the solar system. There are some high quality meteorite pictures and information specific to ALH84001. Also present are more than 220 pages of information including an educator's guide to impact craters and micrometeorites. All materials are free to use non-commercially.

The Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Collection

http://geowww.geo.tcu.edu/faculty/monig.html

This single page hosted by Texas Christian University gives biographical information about Monnig and his meteorite collecting.

Meteorite and Impacts Advisory Committee to the Canadian Space Agency

http://dsaing.uqac.uquebec.ca/~mhiggins/MIAC/MIAC.html

General meteorite information is presented, as well as specifics about Canadian meteorites.

Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

http://www.mov.vic.gov.au/mineralogy/meteor.html

This site supports an list of specimens in the museum's collection.

Peabody Museum, Yale University

http://www.peabody.yale.edu/collections/met/

A collection history is given, and in the future, an online catalog will be supported.

Photomicrographs of meteorites

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery/meteorites/meteorite.html

Florida State supports this site which shows five colorful meteorite photomicrographs. Unfortunately, the exact names of the specimens are not given.

Norwegian meteorites

http://www.stud.unit.no/~ltheen/meteor/norwegianmeteorites.html

Information is offered about Norwegian meteorites and craters. Included are several links that lead to detailed information about meteor-related phenomena.