Taylor House/Arizona Daily Wildcat Dr. Timothy Swindle, a professor of Planetary Sciences and Geosciences and contributor to Meteorite Magazine, said, 'In 30 years, the U.S. has found about 20,000 meteorites.'

Space-rock magazine has roots in UA scientists

Space-rock junkies have a new fix in the form of a meteorite magazine with a UA connection.

UA planetary scientist Larry Lebofsky and his wife Nancy, a former editor and outreach educator at the Steward Observatory, will serve as editors for Meteorite Magazine, a new quarterly aimed at anyone with an interest in these interplanetary rocks.

"For me personally, this is very intriguing," said Lebofsky, whose background in asteroids has led to a fascination in unearthly rocks.

Meteorites are bits of rock and debris, some of which come from the moon and Mars, that hit Earth every day, Lebofsky said.

Meteorite Magazine is not aimed toward academics, but rather it's geared for the "popular" audience: amateur meteor hunters, collectors, dealers and anyone with an interest in meteorites, Lebofsky said.

The magazine was originally published in New Zealand, but has since changed hands and now hails from the University of Arkansas.

Anyone is invited to submit articles to the 44-page journal, which is about two-thirds U.S. content and one-third international, said Hazel Sears, managing editor for the magazine and manager of the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences.

The next issue of the magazine, which will be available at the end of February, will keep the same format as its predecessors, including articles on meteorite hunting, expeditions and upcoming gem and mineral shows, said Sears.

Sears hopes the magazine will continue to grow from its circulation of 650.

"We're trying to draw in educators from K-12," she said.

Basically, you want to look for something that's out of place ... there are many more meteo -wrongs than meteorites. - Larry Lebofsky, UA planetary scientist

The study of meteorites is an important contribution to understanding the origins of the universe, Lebofsky said.

"The meteorites come from the building blocks of the solar system," he said.

Meteorites can be found all over the world, but are commonly found in Antarctica, where the blackness of the rocks contrasts with the white ice.

The UA has been involved with the Antarctic Search for Meteorites, which sends teams of four to eight scientists and geologists to the frozen continent to search for the space rocks.

Tim Swindle, a professor of Planetary Sciences and Geosciences, has twice been part of the team and estimated six or seven others from the UA have been part of the expedition.

"In 30 years, the U.S. has found about 20,000 meteorites," Swindle said.

By comparison, only 1,000 meteorites were known prior to Antarctic expeditions, Swindle said.

While meteorite hunting is mainly enjoyed by hobbyists, some people make a living selling meteorites, which can fetch upward of a million dollars if they originate from the moon or Mars, Lebofsky said.

Lebofsky said while it can be difficult finding meteorites in the Tucson area, people should keep a keen eye for rocks that look out-of-this-world.

"Basically, you want to look for something that's out of place," Lebofsky said.

However, not all dense, magnetically charged rocks are meteorites.

"There are many more meteor-wrongs than meteorites," Lebofsky said.

Subscription and back issues for Meteorite Magazine can be found on the Web site, http://meteoritemag.uark.edu.