Lately I’ve noticed several suspected meteorites getting attention in the press.  The story usually goes like this – someone finds a funny looking rock, somebody tells them it must be a meteorite, and they go to the local newspaper or TV station.

Of course, thanks to the internet, there’s no such thing as a “local” newspaper anymore.  The stories are instantly posted online, giving meteorite collectors around the world their first glimpse of these suspected meteorites.  And, of course, we see that they aren’t meteorites at all.

Here are three recent examples:

• July 29th, 2009:  Suspected Meteorite in Whiteford, PA, USA
• August 12th, 2009:  Suspected Meteorite in Spokane Valley, WA, USA
• August 20th, 2009:  Suspected Meteorite in Barnstable, England

Now, I don’t blame people for mistaking Earth rocks for meteorites.  It’s understandable.  What I don’t understand is why newspapers and TV stations give attention to these stories.  If a confirmed meteorite were found, that would certainly be newsworthy.  On the other hand, if there is a funny looking rock that nobody has analyzed, then why jump to conclusions?  If the rock hasn’t been looked at by someone who knows meteorites, then why is it a news story at all?

Of the three news stories I linked to above, the first one is the most forgivable – it took place in an area where a meteorite is believed to have fallen last month.  The second article is skeptical, which is a step in the right direction.  The third article, though, is the worst offender.  There is no mention of anyone with experience taking a look at the rock, but it is confidently referred to as a “meteorite” nonetheless (not even a “suspected meteorite”!).  The newspaper then makes several references to the recent Perseid meteor shower, as if it somehow supports their claim.  Someone should tell them that meteorites don’t come from annual meteor showers.

To my eye, none of these rocks look anything like a meteorite.  Of course, anything is possible – perhaps each of these finds is a brand new classification, never seen before by collectors.  I would be happy to be proven wrong and have one of these turn out to be the real deal!  But until then, it’s just not news in my opinion.  (Of course, I realize the irony in drawing attention to these stories that I say aren’t newsworthy.)

One last thing: in the “Resources” section of this site, I recently added a page about what to do if you think you’ve found a meteorite.  I left out the part about calling your local news station.