How can I tell if my rock is a meteorite, and how do I get it classified?
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Four quick checks rule out most suspects: a real meteorite usually feels heavy for its size, attracts a magnet, has no gas bubbles or holes, and leaves no streak (or only a faint gray one) on an unglazed tile [1][2][3]. A stone that fails any of these is almost certainly a "meteor-wrong," most often industrial slag, magnetite or hematite. A stone that passes all four is not proven to be a meteorite; it is worth showing to an expert [1]. Only a laboratory can confirm it, and only the Meteoritical Society can give it an official name. This page takes you through the checks, the usual lookalikes, and how classification works and what it costs.
What you see, what it means, what to do
| What you see | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy for its size | Consistent with a meteorite, since most contain iron-nickel metal; dense terrestrial rocks are also heavy, so this test alone "is unreliable" [1] | Go on to the magnet test |
| A magnet sticks, or a magnet hung on a string swings toward it | Consistent with a meteorite. "All metallic meteorites will strongly attract a magnet," and most stony ones attract it to some degree [1][2]. Magnetite and some slags are also magnetic, so this "is not conclusive" [3] | Go on to the streak test |
| No magnetic attraction at all | Very unlikely to be a meteorite; nearly all contain iron-nickel metal [4] | Treat it as a terrestrial rock and identify it as one |
| Holes, bubbles or a spongy texture | Not a meteorite. "A true meteorite will not have any holes or bubbles at all" [4]; USGS lists bubbles (vesicles) among features meteorites lack [2] | Most likely slag or a volcanic rock |
| Light-colored quartz crystals inside | Meteorites lack them [2] | Identify it as a terrestrial rock |
| Black streak on an unglazed tile | Points to magnetite [1][2] | Stop; this is the most common magnetic meteor-wrong |
| Red or reddish-brown streak | Points to hematite [1][2] | Stop; a hematite concretion is a classic meteor-wrong [1] |
| No streak, or a light gray one when pressed hard | Consistent with a meteorite [1]. Iron that has weathered on Earth for a long time can leave a streak [3] | Look for crust and metal |
| A thin dark crust that differs from the inside | Fusion crust, formed as the surface melted on entry; "dark brown to black," rusty brown when weathered [3]. Shallow "thumb-print" pits (regmaglypts) are also typical [1][2] | Look at a broken or chipped surface for metal |
| Shiny metal flecks inside that look like "untarnished silver" | Consistent with meteoritic iron [3] | Get it examined in person |
| Small round grains inside | Possibly chondrules, the "primitive building blocks of the Solar System" found in most stony meteorites [3] | Get it examined in person |
Two cautions from the museums that do this work. First, test the interior, not the outside: "if the outside is rusty you will get a false result" on the streak test [1]. Use an existing broken face or a natural chip; you do not need to cut the stone. Second, no single test settles it. The tests are "usually performed together," and passing them means only that the stone may be "worth having an expert examine it" [1]. As the Utah Geological Survey puts it, "almost all the identification rules have exceptions" [3].
How to run the checks at home
- Heft it. Compare it in your hand with an ordinary rock of the same size. If you want a number, measure its specific gravity; the method is on measuring specific gravity at home.
- Magnet. A refrigerator magnet is enough [4]. For a weakly magnetic stone, hang the magnet on a thread and bring the stone close; USGS describes this for stony meteorites [2].
- Holes. Look at every surface with a 10x hand lens. Round holes or a frothy texture end the question [4].
- Streak. Rub a broken edge on the back of an unglazed white ceramic tile [1]. How to read a streak is on streak, luster and color.
- Crust and interior. Look for a thin, dark, "eggshell-like" crust [4] and, on any broken face, for metal grains and chondrules [3].
- Write it down. Record where and when you found it, whose land it was, and the results of each test. You will need the find details if it goes to a lab [4], and the land status decides whether you may keep it (see meteorites on public land).
The usual meteor-wrongs
| Lookalike | Why people mistake it | What gives it away | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slag (smelter and furnace waste) | Dark, heavy, often magnetic, sometimes with a glassy skin | Gas bubbles and holes, which meteorites never have | University of Alberta [4] |
| Magnetite | Black, heavy, strongly magnetic, often with a metallic sheen | Dark gray to black streak | TCU [1]; USGS [2]; UGS [3] |
| Hematite, including hematite concretions | Dark, heavy, sometimes rounded | Rust-red streak | TCU [1]; USGS [2] |
| Chert and pyrite | Dark chert can look crusted; pyrite looks metallic | They fail the magnet and metal checks; identify them as terrestrial minerals (see common lookalikes) | University of Alberta [4] |
| Space or aircraft debris, machine parts | Metallic, heavy, burned looking | Manufactured shapes, welds, machined surfaces | UGS [3] |
The odds favor the lookalike. The Utah Geological Survey notes that "the odds of finding a meteorite are slim even if you see it fall," and that the Meteoritical Bulletin Database listed 26 meteorite finds in all of Utah when the article was last updated [3].
Getting it examined and classified
Photographs do not settle it. The Monnig Meteorite Gallery at Texas Christian University says its staff "will not identify rocks from photographs" [1], and USGS, which "doesn't verify meteorites," says potential meteorites "must be examined in person" [2]. USGS suggests a state geological survey, a natural science museum or a university geology department as the first stop [2]. Some universities run meteorite identification services; the Utah Geological Survey points readers to Washington University in St. Louis and Arizona State University among others [3].
What formal classification involves
Classification goes further than "yes, it is a meteorite." A laboratory determines the type (an ordinary chondrite, an iron, and so on) and submits the description so the Meteoritical Society's Nomenclature Committee can approve a name, which is then listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database. The Society urges finders to obtain "an 'official' name from the Nomenclature Committee," says researchers should not publish on a new meteorite until the committee certifies it, and notes that donations to local institutions do not replace "the requirement for the deposit of a type specimen in a recognized meteorite collection" [5].
The University of Alberta's published terms show what this looks like in practice, as of October 2026 [4]:
| Item | University of Alberta terms |
|---|---|
| What it accepts | Samples already identified as meteorites; contact the university first, since classification is "currently being done on a limited basis" |
| Fee, ordinary chondrites and other stony types | $350 per sample; $300 if you provide the type specimen; $250 per sample for three or more |
| Fee, iron meteorites | $350 per sample; $300 with a type specimen |
| Payment | Before work starts |
| Type specimen | "At least 20 grams or 20% of the mass of the meteorite, whichever is less"; the university can cut it on site |
| What to send with it | When and where it was found or bought, its total mass, and photographs of the main mass |
| Time to a name | Typically "between three and nine months" |
The University of Alberta is a Canadian institution and its page does not state the currency. Other laboratories set their own fees and terms; ask before you ship anything. The type specimen requirement is why you should not cut, grind or break up a suspected meteorite yourself. Keep the main mass whole, photograph it, and let the classifying laboratory take the sample.
Keeping an iron meteorite from rusting
Iron and stony-iron meteorites carry metal that corrodes in damp air. The National Park Service's conservation note on geological collections warns that "metallic specimens may corrode at high RH" (relative humidity), and that "this can be a problem particularly in meteorite collections" [6]. Keep iron meteorites dry, store them away from damp basements and bathrooms, handle them as little as possible, and keep the find record with the specimen. How to hold a small number of specimens at low humidity in a sealed box is on setting up a sealed low-humidity box.
Before you keep it, sell it or send it off
If your stone passes the checks, the next question is whether it was yours to take. Meteorites on BLM land, national forests, national parks and private land each follow a different rule, set out on meteorites on public land.
References
- Texas Christian University, Monnig Meteorite Gallery, Meteorite Testing, undated, read October 22, 2026. https://monnigmuseum.tcu.edu/meteorite-testing/
- U.S. Geological Survey, "I think I found a meteorite. How can I tell for sure?", FAQ, read October 22, 2026. https://www.usgs.gov/index.php/faqs/i-think-i-found-meteorite-how-can-i-tell-sure
- Utah Geological Survey, William Case, "Glad You Asked: So you think you have found a meteorite! Now, how can you verify your find?", Survey Notes v. 40 no. 2, May 2008, author's note August 2022, page modified November 25, 2024. https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/meteorite-or-meteorwrong
- University of Alberta, Faculty of Science, Meteorites (and meteowrongs), read October 22, 2026. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/science/meteorites/index.html
- The Meteoritical Society, Position Statement: Collection, Trade, and Curation of Extraterrestrial Materials, undated, read October 22, 2026. https://meteoritical.org/society/governance/position-statements
- National Park Service, Kathy Hall, Storage Concerns for Geological Collections, Conserve O Gram 11/2, April 1998. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/museums/upload/11-02_508.pdf
