Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series) [Kindle Edition]

I think Norton and Chitwood have done a great piece of work with this guide. It is very readable, but also up-to-date and comprehensive. As a collector, I find it covers the bases thoroughly. The parts describing hunting for meteorites, the tools and techniques used for determining meteorite authenticity, and the anecdotal information on hunters and various finds are a pleasant bonus I was not expecting.

But, for me personally, the biggest surprise was the information in the chapter on thin sections: From Hand Lens to Microscope. This is excellent information for anyone who wants to learn about actually analyzing meteorites. If you want to go beyond basic hunting or collecting, this is the section for you. Furthermore, the authors have representative thin section photographs of the major meteorite classes throughout the other chapters.

I like Springer as a publisher, and I think the Patrick Moore series on Practical Astronomy has been a good thing for amateur astronomy. I have about a dozen of the series titles, but this one -- in my opinion -- is a more thorough treatment of its subject than any of the others.

I also have about a dozen other books on meteorites -- some of them highly specialized (like the Color Atlas of Meteorites in Thin Section). As I'm learning more about meteoritics, I would find it hard to part with any of my books. But if I were forced to keep just one of them, this would be the one.

This is a magnificent book and a must for anyone who is interested in our solar system and its formation. How do you study something that took place 4.6 billion years ago? You look at the unaltered debris that is left over from that period and fortunately for science that debris can be found on Earth in the form of meteorites. Once they are cut open, their extraterrestrial origins are betrayed and they become a history lesson to the scientists who study them. That's why this book is so important - it tells you what to look for, as most meteorites are found by amateurs - and it may as well be you. This is one of the very few areas where a non-scientist can make a real contribution to the scientific understanding of our planet's origins.

The book itself is divided into three parts. The first part is devoted to all the debris floating around the solar system, from interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), to asteroids, to meteoroids which become meteorites once they land on Earth. Meteors are the luminous phenomenon we have all witnessed in the night sky. Next comes the second and main part of the book with its description of the different classes and subclasses of meteorites, replete with color photos of whole specimens, slices, and thin sections. Every category of meteorites tells a different story that relates to the particulars of its formation. While most meteorites are of asteroidal origin, some have come from the Moon and Mars. These latter can send the heart racing if you are lucky enough to stumble upon one.

The final part of the book is about how to find meteorites and `what next?' if you think you have indeed stumbled upon one. Firstly, don't worry as they are neither hot to the touch nor are they radioactive. A gallery of `meteorwrongs' is included to show that a rock can look like a meteorite in some respects and yet sadly be terrestrial. A wonderful segment is included on what meteorites look like in thin section and it is a glorious world indeed. This is where former ugly-ducklings become superstars of science.

Not everyone knows this, but you can actually buy these extraterrestrial rocks from space (just Google `meteorites for sale'). If you do, or if you wish to find you own, or if you just wish to learn more about the environment our Earth inhabits, you will want a copy of this outstanding book. The reader should be warned though - meteorites have been found to be highly addictive. Good hunting!

Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series) This book should be on every meteorite lovers bookshelf. The photos are detailed and of excellent quality.The text is understandable by professionals and amateurs alike. I unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone interested in these visitors from outer space.