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NEW METEORITE AND TEKTITE BOOKS
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Below are descriptions covering new books we feel are of special interest to the meteorite and tektite collector.

Click on book covers to see larger images.  


"METEORITES" 
By R. Hutchison and A. Graham, The Natural History Museum (British Museum), 60 pages, 8 1/4 X 7 5/8”, illustrated with ninety-five photographs, several diagrams, pictorial soft cover. This excellent book contains a wealth of information about meteorites and their science, written by two experts from the British Museum in London. Their “Catalogue of Meteorites”, 4th Edition, is a classic work on the subject. The color photographs in “Meteorites” are exceptional -- subjects include several historical photographs of localities and personalities along with numerous color, as well as black and white photos which illustrate examples of most of the different classified types of meteorites. Since the British Museum houses one of the largest collections of meteorites in the world, the specimens selected to illustrate this book are first rate! Topics covered by the authors include the classification and age of meteorites, asteroids, comets, Antarctic meteorites, micrometeorites, and much more, all written in a simplified and generally easy to understand format, and of a high scientific caliber. “Meteorites” is a very good introductory book to the study of meteorites, with emphasis on their scientific importance. The illustrations on the cover, shown at the left, are: an aerial view of Meteor Crater in Arizona, a polished section of the Thiel Mountains, Antarctica pallasite (left), and a view of one of the Cronstad, South Africa stones from the meteorite shower of 1877 (right). First published in 1992 in England, this 1993 printing is by the Sterling Publishing Company, NY.  
Shipping weight: 1 pound
Order Item BK5020
Price: $17.95 

“Meteorites -- A Petrologic, Chemical and Isotopic Synthesis”
By Robert Hutchison, Natural History Museum, London, 520 pages, 10” X 7”, pictorial hardback or paperback.  ISBN-10: 0521470102  Meteorite research is fundamental to our understanding of the origin and early history of the Solar System. This book considers the mechanism and timing of core formation and basaltic volcanism on asteroids, and the effects of heating water-rich bodies. Results from meteorite research are placed in a galactic setting, and a theory is proposed for the origin of the planets of our Solar System. This advanced yet succinct introduction classifies meteorites in the context of their ages and origin.  Contents:  1. Introduction;  2. The chondrites: chemistry and classification;  3. The components of chondrites;  4. Petrography of the chondrites I: carbonaceous chondrites;  5. Petrography of the chondrites II: Non-carbonaceous chondrites;  6. Time in the evolution of chondrites;  7. Origin of chondrites and their components;  8. Differentiated meteorites I: Primitive achondrites, ureilites and aubrites;  9. Differentiated meteorites II: asteroidal, lunar and Martian basaltic meteorites; 10. Differentiated meteorites III: Iron and stony iron meteorites;  11. Parent body processes and petrogenetic associations;  12. Origin of Solar System planets: A meteoriticist’s view.  Published as number two in the Cambridge Planetary Science series by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2004.

Order Item BK-5025 Hardback
Shipping weight:  4 pounds
Price:  $150.00

Order Item BK-5025A Paperback
Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Price:  $90.00

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"METEORITES AND THEIR PARENT PLANETS" - First Edition
By Harry Y. McSween, Jr., 256 pages, 6 X 9 1/2", illustrated, hard cover. "Meteorites and Their Parent Planets" provides a comprehensive, very readable and easy to understand introduction to the study of meteorites and their significance. Unlike other books on the subject, which merely classify meteorites, this book explores their origins by tracing meteorites back to their parent bodies -- the sites of various geologic processes. In this way, the author uses his subject as a key to unlocking the secrets of orbiting worlds, such as asteroids, planets, and the Moon, all from which meteorites are thought to originate. Special emphasis is placed upon the chondrites, achondrites, iron, and stony-iron meteorites. A short appendix of minerals found in meteorites is incuded, as well as a fairly comprehensive 8-page glossary of terms relative to understanding all phases of the study of meteorites, their composition, and their origins. Included are 30 halftones, 1 color plate, 2 tables, 66 line diagrams. Published by the Cambridge University Press, 1987.  
Shipping weight: 2 pounds
Order Item BK5030
Price: $45.00

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"METEORITES AND THEIR PARENT PLANETS" – Second Edition
By: Harry Y. McSween, Jr.
310 pages, 9 1/4" X 6", soft cover, with numerous tables and charts, diagrams, and excellent black & white photographs of meteorites found in all parts of the world. This excellent book is a highly readable, well synthesized introduction to the field of meteoritics, and the broader study of the formation and evolution of the solar system. The book describes the nature of meteorites, where they come from, and how they arrive on Earth. Meteorites offer important insights into processes in stars and in interstellar regions, the birth of our solar system, the formation and evolution of planets and smaller bodies, and the origin of life. The first edition of "METEORITES AND THEIR PARENT PLANETS" was immensely popular with meteorite collectors, scientists, and science students in many fields, as well as amateur astronomers. In this second edition, all of the illustrations have been updated and improved, many sections have been expanded and modified based upon discoveries in the last decade, and a new chapter on the importance of meteorites has been added. Everyone with an interest in meteorites will want to have a copy of this book for his/her reference library. Chapters are devoted to:
  • Introduction to Meteorites.
  • Chondrites and Chondrite Parent Bodies.
  • Achondrites and Achondrite Parent Bodies.
  • Iron and Stony-Iron Meteorites and their Parent Bodies.
  • A Space Odyssey: Asteroids, etc.
  • The Importance of Meteorites: Some Examples.
  • Appendix of Minerals Identified in Meteorites.
  • Glossary (very comprehensive, with 11 pages of pertinent definitions).

In addition, a very complete Index (12 pages!) follows the Glossary. Harry Y. McSween, Jr. is a professor and former head of the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Tennessee, and is also a past president of the Meteoritical Society. Published by Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Shipping weight: 2 pounds
Order Item BK5031
Price: $55.00

NEW
 “Meteorites, Ice, and Antarctica -- A Personal Account”
by William A. Cassidy, University of Pittsburgh, 364 pages, 9 1/4” X 6 1/4”, hardback.  ISBN-10: 0521258723  Bill Cassidy led meteorite recovery expeditions in the Antarctic for fifteen years and his searches have resulted in the collection of thousands of meteorite specimens from the ice. This personal account of his field experiences on the U.S. Antarctic Search for Meteorites Project reveals the influence the work has had on our understanding of the Moon, Mars and the asteroid belt.  Cassidy describes the hardships and dangers of field work in a hostile environment, as well as the appreciation he developed for its beauty. William Cassidy is Emeritus Professor of Geology and Planetary Science at the University of Pittsburgh.  He initiated the U.S. Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) project and led meteorite recovery expeditions in Antarctica in 1976. His name is found attached to a mineral (Cassidyite), on the map of Antarctica (Cassidy Glacier), and in the Catalog of Asteroids (3382 Cassidy). Profiled in "American Men of Science," and "Who's Who in America," he is also a recipient of The Antarctic Service Medal from the United States and has published widely in Science, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, and The Journal of Geophysical Research.  Contents  Part I. Setting the Stage: 1. Antarctica and the National Science Foundation;  2. How the project began;  3. The first three years;  4. Later years of the ANSMET Program;  5. Alone (or in small groups). Part II. ANSMET Pays Off: Field Results and Their Consequences;  6. Mars on the ice;  7. Meteorites from the Moon;  8. How, and where in the Solar System?; Part III. Has It Been Worthwhile?:  9. Evaluating the collection - and speculating on its significance;  10. Meteorite stranding surfaces and the ice sheet; 11. The future: what is, is; but what will be, might not.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2003.
Order Item BK5031A
Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Price:  $48.00

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CD-ROM
"Meteorites, Minor Planets and Meteors: A Guide to Minor Bodies in the Solar System"
CD by Philip M. Bagnall
In this new CD, Phil Bagnall sets out to explain what meteorites are, how they are related to other minor bodies in the Solar System, and what they tell us about the birth and evolution of our planetary family. The CD is packed with information of both historical and current interest, and the author combines hard facts and occasional humor to produce a highly readable, and always thought provoking volume. He starts by recounting the spectacular arrival of the Peekskill meteorite in October 1992. He uses this event to draw parallels with other meteorite falls throughout history and explains why it took so long for the scientific community to realize the relationship between meteorites and fireballs. In Chapter 2 the author explains the physical properties and dynamics of fireballs, and dispels several popular misconceptions. Chapter 3 covers what happens when meteorites - of all sizes - hit the ground. The author looks at people who have been struck by meteorites, and species that have been wiped out by them. The fourth chapter goes into some detail on the shape, structure and composition of meteorites and includes stunning photographs by Jim Hurley. The next chapter builds on this information, to explain how meteorites are categorized and how they are related. Chapter 6 looks at the sources of meteorites -- the asteroids and comets, the Moon and the planets. The asteroids are examined in Chapter 7; the following chapter explains what meteorites and asteroids tell us about the origin and history of the Solar System. Chapter 9 reveals everything you ever wanted to know about comets, while Chapter 10 looks at the end products of comet disintegration: meteor shows, the Zodiacal Light, Band and Gegenschien. There is a wealth of basic data on asteroids in the appendices, plus a free copy of StarFall 2000 - the Non-Antarctic Meteorite Database listing details of more than 5,000 known specimens. Philip M. Bagnall has studied minor Solar System bodies for 30 years and his articles on the subject have appeared in magazines such as "Astronomy", "Astronomy Now", "Focus", and "New Scientist". His previous work on meteorites and tektites is "The Meteorite and Tektite Collector’s Handbook". The new CD "Meteorites, Minor Planets and Meteors" is released by Positron Press, England, 2002.
This CD is intended for those with a basic knowledge of science.
Available in PC format only!
Shipping weight: 1 pound
Order Item BK5032
Price: $35.


 

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