Meteorites: messengers from space

1 Fall Phenomena.- 1.1 Light Phenomena.- 1.2 Sound Phenomena.- 1.3 The Main Meteorite Groups.- 1.4 Effects on Landing.- 1.5 Meteorite Showers.- 1.6 Hypervelocity Impacts.- 1.6.1 Meteorite Craters.- 1.6.2 Shock Effects.- 1.6.3 The Ries Crater.- 1.6.4 Probable Meteorite Craters.- 1.6.5 Meteoritic Indicator Elements.- 1.6.6 The Tunguska Event.- 1.6.7 Tektites.- 1.6.8 Impacts and the History of the Planets.- 1.6.9 Earth-Approaching Asteroids.- 1.7 Number and Distribution of Meteorite Falls.- 1.7.1 Frequency of Meteorite Falls.- 1.7.2 Geographic Distribution.- 1.7.3 Times of Fall.- 1.7.4 The Dangers of Descending Meteorites.- 1.8 The History of Meteoritics.- 1.9 Observations of Importance for a Meteorite Fall.- 1.10 How Can a Meteorite Be Recognized.- 2 The Meteorites.- 2.1 Cosmic Dust.- 2.2 The Size of Meteorites.- 2.3 The Shape of Meteorites.- 2.4 Surface Characteristics.- 2.5 Mineralogy and Classification of Meteorites.- 2.5.1 Stone Meteorites.- 2.5.1.1 Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.1 Ordinary Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.2 Enstatite Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.3 Carbonaceous Chondrites.- 2.5.1.2 Achondrites.- 2.5.1.2.1 Eucrites, Howardites, and Diogenites.- 2.5.1.2.2 SNC Meteorites.- 2.5.1.2.3 Aubrites.- 2.5.1.2.4 Ureilites.- 2.5.2 Iron Meteorites.- 2.5.3 Stony Iron Meteorites.- 2.5.3.1 Pallasites.- 2.5.3.2 Mesosiderites.- 2.6 The Chemical Significance of Meteorites.- 2.7 The Cosmic Abundance of the Elements.- 2.8 Isotope Anomalies.- 2.9 Organic Compounds.- 3 The Origin and Formation of Meteorites.- 3.1 Meteorite Ages.- 3.1.1 Formation Age.- 3.1.2 Cosmic Ray Exposure Ages.- 3.1.3 Terrestrial Ages.- 3.2 The Origin of Meteorites.- 3.2.1 Asteroids.- 3.2.2 Meteorites from Mars and the Moon.- 3.3 The Formation of Chondrites.- 3.3.1 Iodine-Xenon Ages.- 3.3.2 Condensation and Ca, A1-Rich Inclusions.- 3.3.3 The Origin of Chondrules.- 3.3.4 Matrix.- 3.4 Planetesimals and the Formation of Achondrites.- 3.5 Regolith, Primordial Rare Gases, and the Solar Wind.- 3.6 The Planets.- 3.7 Conclusions.- 4 Appendix.- 4.1 Meteorite Collections and Research.- 4.2 Exchange Value of Meteorites.- 4.3 Etching of Iron Meteorites.- 4.4 Detection of Nickel.- 4.5 Meteorite Falls from 1985 Through 1993.- 4.6 Literature.- 4.7 Composition of Meteorites and the Earth's Crust.- 5 Subject Index.