Are meteorites dangerous to touch?
No, meteorites are not toxic, hot or harmfully radioactive by the time you hold them. The main reasons for care are to protect the meteorite from skin oils and moisture, and to avoid sharp edges.
It is perfectly safe to pick up a meteorite. They are rocks and metal much like those found on Earth, though formed elsewhere in the Solar System. They do not carry living germs from space, and their natural radioactivity is very low. A meteorite that has just landed is not dangerously hot either: its interior stays cold from space, and the thin melted surface cools quickly during the final minutes of its fall.
The real reasons for care are about the meteorite rather than you. Your hands carry oils, salts, moisture and microbes. On a fresh fall, these add Earth chemicals to a surface that scientists want to study as pristine, especially carbon-rich meteorites, which are analysed for delicate organic molecules. That is why people who find a fresh meteorite are asked to pick it up with clean gloves or aluminium foil and seal it in a clean bag. When the Winchcombe meteorite fell in Gloucestershire in 2021, its quick, careful collection helped make it scientifically valuable. On older specimens, salty fingerprints can encourage rust, particularly on iron meteorites.
There are a few common-sense safety points. Fragments of some iron meteorites, such as the twisted shrapnel pieces from Sikhote-Alin, can have sharp, jagged edges. Small pieces are a choking hazard for very young children. Dust from cutting or grinding any rock should not be breathed in, which is one reason why cutting is a job for professionals. Never lick or taste a specimen, however tempting that might be for children.
So handle meteorites with clean, dry hands or gloves, wash your hands afterwards as you would with any rock, and enjoy the remarkable experience of touching something older than Earth.