What does a meteorite feel like to hold?
A meteorite often feels heavier than you expect for its size. Its crust can feel smooth or a little rough, and iron ones feel cold and solid, like a lump of metal.
Holding a real meteorite is an amazing feeling, because you know it has travelled through space for millions of years.
The first surprise is usually the weight. Many meteorites contain metal, so they feel heavier than an ordinary stone of the same size. An iron meteorite is especially heavy: a piece the size of a tennis ball can weigh well over a kilogram, about as much as a big bag of sugar.
The outside of a meteorite is covered in a thin crust that formed as it melted in the air. On a fresh meteorite, the crust can feel smooth and slightly glassy, a bit like the skin on a burnt marshmallow, but much harder. Some meteorites have shallow dents on them, like thumbprints pressed into clay. Iron meteorites feel cold, because metal draws heat from your hand, and they feel very solid.
If you are lucky enough to hold one, use clean, dry hands, hold it over a table, and never try to scratch it, break it, lick it or taste it. Many museums and some schools have meteorites that visitors are allowed to touch, so look out for them on your next trip.