Iron MeteoriteMohs 4-5
Very heavy, strongly magnetic, dark fusion-crusted surface often with regmaglypts. Cut interior shows Widmanstätten pattern after etching.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
Meteorite Identifier
Most rocks people suspect of being meteorites are not meteorites. They're slag, hematite, magnetite, or vesicular basalt — dense, dark, sometimes magnetic terrestrial rocks that share the visual cues people associate with space. This identifier defaults to skepticism: it reads the photo for fusion crust, regmaglypts, density hints, and the most common meteorwrong lookalikes, then returns three ranked candidates with the test that confirms or rules out each.
- Skeptical by default — most submissions are meteorwrongs
- Reads for fusion crust, regmaglypts, and surface density
- Names the most likely terrestrial lookalike per match
- Magnet, streak, and density tests built into each card
Reviewed by RockHoundR Field Team · Field identification & geology editors · Last verified
Quick answer
Most suspected meteorites are not meteorites. Run the magnet test first — no magnetic response rules it out. Then upload a clear photo of the broken interior and the outer surface; the identifier will rank the three most likely terrestrial lookalikes alongside the meteorite candidate so you can take the next test.
Real meteorites are rare. Of the roughly 80,000 confirmed specimens in the global record, only a fraction were found by amateurs, and almost every photo submitted to identifier services turns out to be terrestrial. The four most common 'meteorwrongs' — slag, hematite, magnetite, and vesicular basalt — share the visual cues people associate with meteorites: dark color, density, sometimes a magnetic response. They are not space rocks.
Real meteorite cues are specific and stack: a thin (0.5–1 mm) dark fusion crust formed during atmospheric entry; shallow thumbprint-like depressions called regmaglypts; a dense, often gray-metallic interior with small spherical chondrules (in chondrites) or visible nickel-iron metal (in irons and stony-irons); and no vesicles (bubbles), which terrestrial volcanic rocks have and meteorites do not.
The single most useful field test is the magnet. No magnetic response at all? Almost certainly not a meteorite. Weak response is consistent with stony chondrites. Strong response is consistent with iron meteorites — and also with magnetite, which is a common terrestrial ore. The magnet is necessary but not sufficient, so the identifier writes the next test (streak, density, fusion-crust check) into each card.
Visual reference — real meteorites and their lookalikes
Real specimens of the three meteorite classes and the three most common meteorwrongs. The card for each names the single feature that separates it from the rest.
ChondriteMohs 5-6
Most common real meteorite. Gray interior with small spherical chondrules (sub-mm to a few mm) visible on a fresh break. Weakly magnetic.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
PallasiteMohs 5-6
Stony-iron — olivine (peridot) crystals suspended in a nickel-iron matrix. Visually unmistakable when cut. Very rare.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
MagnetiteMohs 5.5-6.5
Common terrestrial iron oxide. Strongly magnetic and dense — easy to mistake for an iron meteorite. Black streak. No fusion crust.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
HematiteMohs 5.5-6.5
Dense, sometimes metallic luster, weakly magnetic in some forms. Red-brown streak gives it away — meteorites do not streak red.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
ObsidianMohs 5-6
Volcanic glass — black, glossy, conchoidal fracture. Sometimes mistaken for fusion crust, but obsidian is glassy throughout, not just at the surface.
Photo: Wikipedia contributors · wikipedia
Meteorite vs meteorwrong comparison
Side-by-side cues for what to look for on each candidate. Magnetic response and the presence or absence of vesicles do most of the work.
| Specimen | Magnetic | Density | Streak | Field tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Meteorite | — | 7.5–8.0 g/cm³ (very heavy) | metallic gray | Fusion crust + regmaglypts + Widmanstätten pattern on a polished cut. |
| Chondrite | — | 3.0–3.7 g/cm³ (heavy for size) | white | Chondrules visible on a fresh break + thin fusion crust + no vesicles. |
| Pallasite | — | 4.5–4.9 g/cm³ | metallic grey | Olivine crystals suspended in a metal matrix — visually unmistakable when cut. |
| Magnetite | — | 5.1 g/cm³ | black | Strongly magnetic but black streak, octahedral crystals where formed, no fusion crust. |
| Hematite | — | 5.3 g/cm³ | cherry-red to reddish-brown | Red-brown streak is diagnostic, even when specimen looks black. |
| Obsidian | — | 2.4 g/cm³ (light for size) | white | Glassy throughout, not just at the surface. No magnetism, no fusion crust. |
Real meteorites vs common meteorwrongs
Stony chondrite
Dark fusion crust, dense, weakly magnetic. Most common real find — but rare.
Iron meteorite
Very heavy, strongly magnetic, often pitted with regmaglypts.
Stony-iron (pallasite)
Olivine crystals embedded in nickel-iron. Rare and visually distinctive.
Slag (meteorwrong)
Industrial smelter waste. Vesicles, glassy surface, often found near old foundries. Not a meteorite.
Hematite / magnetite (meteorwrong)
Dense, magnetic terrestrial iron ore. Red-brown streak (hematite) or black streak (magnetite). Not a meteorite.
Vesicular basalt (meteorwrong)
Dark volcanic rock with bubbles. Meteorites do not have vesicles.
The magnet test, in order
Cheap, fast, and decides 80% of cases. Use the strongest magnet you have — a rare-earth (neodymium) is ideal, a fridge magnet works.
- No response at all
- Almost certainly not a meteorite. Iron and stony-iron meteorites are strongly magnetic; most chondrites are weakly magnetic. The few non-magnetic meteorites are rare specialty types (some achondrites).
- Weak attraction
- Consistent with stony chondrites — but also with weathered iron-rich terrestrial rocks. Move to the next test.
- Strong attraction
- Could be iron meteorite or could be magnetite. Run the streak test next: meteorites don't streak red or black distinctly; magnetite streaks black.
- Reacts but specimen is vesicular (bubbly)
- Vesicular basalt or slag. Meteorites do not have vesicles.
The visual checklist
Five visual cues, ranked by how diagnostic they are. The more that stack, the more likely the specimen is real.
- 1. Fusion crust
- Thin (0.5–1 mm), dark, sometimes flow-lined surface formed during atmospheric burn. Matte to slightly glossy — not glassy throughout like obsidian.
- 2. Regmaglypts
- Shallow thumbprint-like depressions on the surface. Form when softer interior material ablated away during entry. Common on iron meteorites.
- 3. Density (hand-feel)
- Real meteorites feel noticeably heavier than ordinary rocks of the same size. Iron meteorites are very heavy (7.5–8 g/cc); chondrites are still dense (3+ g/cc).
- 4. Chondrules (in chondrites)
- Tiny spherical inclusions visible on a fresh broken surface of a stony chondrite — sub-millimeter to several mm, often gray-on-gray.
- 5. No vesicles
- Bubbles in the rock rule out meteorite. Vesicular basalt and slag have them; meteorites do not.
How the meteorite identifier works
- Step 1
Run the magnet test first
Touch a strong magnet to the rock. No magnetism? Almost certainly not a meteorite. Weak attraction is consistent with stony chondrites; strong is iron.
- Step 2
Photograph the diagnostic features
Fusion crust, the broken interior, and any regmaglypts. A scale and the magnet result help.
- Step 3
Get an honest assessment
Three ranked identifications — including 'meteorwrong' explanations like slag, hematite, or basalt when those fit better.
Take a photo that identifies well
- Photograph the broken interior — chondrules and metal flakes only show on a fresh break.
- Include a magnet-test photo if you can — a real chondrite weakly sticks, an iron grabs hard.
- Show the fusion crust — thin, dark, sometimes flow-lined.
- Hand-held weight comparison — meteorites are noticeably denser than ordinary rocks.
What to avoid
- Photos of just the outside — fusion crust alone isn't diagnostic.
- Vesicular (bubbly) surfaces — meteorites don't have vesicles.
- Anything from slag heaps near old industrial sites — almost always slag.
- Rounded river-tumbled rocks — true meteorites don't tumble well.
How accurate is this meteorite identifier?
Confirming a meteorite from a photo alone is not reliable. The tool is calibrated to be skeptical and to suggest the next test rather than over-promise.
Strong on
- Calling out obvious meteorwrongs — slag, vesicular basalt, magnetite, hematite.
- Naming the next test (magnet, streak, density) for each candidate.
- Distinguishing the three meteorite classes (iron, chondrite, stony-iron) when fusion crust or chondrules are visible.
Less reliable on
- Surface-only photos — fusion crust alone is not conclusive without the broken-interior view.
- Weathered specimens where fusion crust is partially worn off.
- Achondrites (rare meteorites without chondrules) — these can look like ordinary terrestrial rocks in photos.
- Final confirmation — definitive ID requires lab work (thin section, nickel content, oxygen isotope ratios).
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Meteorite Identifier FAQ
How likely is my rock to be a meteorite?
Statistically, very unlikely. The overwhelming majority of suspected meteorites turn out to be slag, hematite, magnetite, or vesicular basalt. The identifier defaults to skepticism and ranks the most likely terrestrial lookalike alongside the meteorite candidate rather than telling you what you want to hear.
What's the magnet test and does it confirm a meteorite?
Touch a strong magnet to the rock. No response rules out almost all meteorites; weak response is consistent with stony chondrites; strong response is consistent with iron meteorites — but also with terrestrial magnetite, which is common. The magnet is necessary but not sufficient. After it, check streak (hematite streaks red-brown; magnetite streaks black; meteorites streak neither distinctly), density, and the broken interior.
What does fusion crust look like?
A thin, dark, sometimes flow-lined crust 0.5–1 mm thick, formed when the meteorite burned through the atmosphere. It's matte to slightly glossy, not glassy throughout like obsidian, and it's unique enough that an experienced meteoriticist can usually call it on sight. On a recovered specimen, fusion crust may be partially weathered off — look at multiple faces.
Should I cut my rock open to check?
Not before you're confident. A small chip from a non-display corner shows the interior — real chondrites reveal a gray metallic matrix with small spherical chondrules visible to the naked eye; irons show metal throughout. Don't slice a candidate before getting expert eyes on it. Cutting destroys value if it does turn out to be real.
Where can I get a confirmed identification?
If the assessment leans meteorite, send photos and physical-test results to a university geology department or a Meteoritical Society classifier. Several U.S. museums also accept candidates. Field photos, a magnet/streak result, and density estimate speed the process significantly.
Why are most 'meteorites' really slag or hematite?
Slag and ore minerals are heavy, dark, and often magnetic — the three things that make people think 'meteorite'. Slag has vesicles (bubbles) which meteorites don't; hematite has a red-brown streak which meteorites don't; magnetite has octahedral crystals where it's well-formed. The identifier names the most likely terrestrial match when that's the better answer rather than over-promising.
References & sources
Property data and reference imagery used on this page are cross-checked against the following sources.
- Meteoritical Bulletin Database
Official record of all classified meteorites. Reference for fusion crust, regmaglypts, and class properties.
- Smithsonian — Antarctic Meteorite Program
Reference imagery for chondrites, achondrites, irons, and stony-irons.
- USGS — How to identify a meteorite
Federal guidance on the magnet test, density, and fusion crust as field cues.