Beyond the Label: Recovery, classification, orbit, and origin of a meteorite

Our museums and galleries are a treasure trove of fascinating stories and world class collections. In this exciting series of talks you will get the opportunity to meet the experts who care for our collections, find out never-before-told behind the scenes stories of our most beloved objects, and get the opportunity to pick the brains of a real expert. 

Join Professor Laurence Garvie, an expert on meteorites from Arizona State University where he conducts research and curates the globally significant meteorite collection. Find out more about his amazing findings and his life, spent travelling the world looking for new specimens to help further our knowledge of the universe.

It is estimated that several meteorites fall to Earth each day, yet only a few are recovered each year. For example, in 2021, the now famous Winchcombe meteorite fell and was collected here in the UK. In 2023, there have already been eight recovered meteorites worldwide. Here is described the recovery, classification, and scientific analysis of the Dishchii’bikoh Ts’iłsǫǫsé Tsee (LL7) meteorite that fell on the White Mountain Apache tribal lands in Arizona on 2 June 2016. A team of six were given permission by the tribal council to enter tribal lands and search for and collect meteorites. Guided by Doppler weather radar signatures, the meteorite team searched for and collected fifteen fusion-crusted stones for a total mass of 79.46 g. Petrographic analysis shows the stones to be highly metamorphosed with an absence of recognizable chondrules, but chemically and isotopically matching LL chondrites. 

Go beyond the museum labels and delve into the fascinating world of art, history, science, and community stories in this unmissable series. 

Admission to this talk is £7 and can be purchased in advance from the museum's webpage.