What does a meteorite look like on the ground?
Usually a dark, rounded stone that looks out of place, often with a black or brown crust, heavier than nearby rocks and with no sharp layers or bubbles.
Spotting a meteorite on the ground takes practice, because most look like ordinary dark stones at first glance.
A fresh meteorite usually has a black fusion crust, which may be matte or slightly shiny. It looks quite different from the rocks around it, especially on pale ground such as desert sand, chalk fields or snow. Its shape is often rounded or blocky, with smoothed edges, rather than jagged. Some show shallow dents, called regmaglypts, or small cracks in the crust. Broken surfaces may reveal a grey interior with tiny shiny flecks of metal.
After weeks to years, especially in damp climates, the crust turns brown and patchy as the iron rusts. In soil, a meteorite may be partly buried and coated with dirt. Iron meteorites look rusty and lumpy and can resemble scrap metal.
Size varies from pea-sized to bowling-ball-sized for most finds. Small fragments are easy to overlook.
Good clues on the ground include: a stone that seems too dark for its surroundings; one that feels heavy when picked up; one that attracts a magnet; and the absence of features common in Earth rocks, such as layers, visible quartz crystals or gas bubbles.
If you find a promising stone, photograph it where it lies with something for scale, note the location, then lift it with clean foil or a bag. Remember that permission from the landowner is needed before searching on private land.