The Wilder MeteoriteThe Wilder MeteoriteThe first fragment of the Wilder meteorite was discovered 1982 by Alan Noe in an unplowed field about 5 km north of Wilder, in southwestern Idaho. This initial find weighed 1970 g (about 4.3 lbs.). In 1990 Mr. Noe found a second and much larger piece of the same meteorite about 1.4 km north of the site of the first discovery. This piece weighed 24.63 kg (about 54 lbs.) and is the stone shown in the photograph to the right.
Wilder is classified as a chondritic meteorite, the characteristic feature
of which is the presence of small spherical bodies typically composed of olivine and
pyroxene. These bodies, called chondrules, are thought to have originally formed from
droplets of liquid which solidified during the very early stages of the formation of our
solar system. Chondritic meteorites are probably pieces of asteroids which were ejected
into space by violent impacts. A short description of the Wilder meteorite is given in:
White, C. M., 1989, The Wilder H5 chondrite: A 1982 find from Idaho. Meteoritics, v. 24,
p. 56. Send me an e-mail if you would like a reprint of this short note.
Only five meteorites are known to have been found in Idaho. This is a very small number
compared to the number
of finds in a state like Kansas. The difference is likely due to the fact that unusual
objects are more easily noticed in the
flat agricultural fields of Kansas than in Idaho’s rugged mountains. Like all
meteorites found outside Antarctica, the
Idaho meteorites are named for towns or landmarks near the locations where they were
found. The names, types and
dates of the five documented Idaho finds are given below.
1. Hayden Creek
Iron
1895
2. Oakley
Iron
1926
3. Parma Canyon
Iron
1940
4. Jerome
Chondrite
1954
5. Wilder
Chondrite
1982
The main mass of the larger of the two Wilder stones and a slice of the Jerome chondrite are currently housed in the Geosciences Department at BSU. The Oakley iron is on display at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) in Washington, D.C.
Meteorites are rare and scientifically important discoveries. Two kinds are common; irons, which are almost 100% metal, and stones (like Wilder), which contain between 10%-25% metal. Both types are heavier than most normal rocks and will attract a magnet, although some stones may not attract it very strongly. A few very rare stones, such as the famous Martian meteorites, contain no metallic iron at all, will not attract a magnet, and may closely resemble Earth rocks. Freshly fallen meteorites of all types will usually have a smooth, black surface. Weathering soon turns this crust to a rusty brown color like the weathered surface of Wilder. Meteorites never contain abundant gas bubbles or have porous or spongy textures. Objects that are sometimes confused with meteorites are smelter slag, iron oxide concretions, and pieces of man-made iron.
If you see a fireball, try to record the direction it was moving by referring to landmarks like buildings or trees. Loud noises associated with fireballs may be caused by sonic booms rather than impacts. If you think you have found a meteorite, you can bring it to the Geosciences Department at Boise State University for identification or send it to one of the national centers for meteorite studies such as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C. or the Center for Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University in Tempe.
Dave Kring's meteorite page contains lots of useful information about meteorites, including sections on the origin of meteorites, meteorite craters, and tests for suspected meteorites. This is an ideal place to start your web search for information about meteorites.