Antarctic Meteorite Educational Package

The NSF, Smithsonian Institution, and NASA have prepared sample packages each containing 12 petrographic thin sections of meteorites and a disk of six small, encapsulated meteorite samples. The sample packages are available to educational institutions having a curriculum in the geosciences. The purpose of the program is to provide meteorite thin sections for description by students with petrographic skill.

---

CONTENTS

• A meteorite thin section set consisting of 12 polished sections specifically selected to be representative of the Antarctic Meteorite collection.
• A booklet which gives descriptions of representative thin sections of each sample included with the set. The booklet also has a brief introduction to meteorite science.
• A meteorite disk containing six samples.

---

AVAILABILITY

The Antarctic Meteorite Educational Package is available to any educational institution offering undergraduate or graduate courses in the geosciences. Sets are loaned for only two weeks, and must be returned promptly by registered mail. This is to ensure availability to as many institutions as possible. A package of lunar thin sections is also available. Please allow plenty of time when requesting either package.

Lunar Educational Packages are also available at http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/sampreq/index.cfm.

---

APPLICATION

Any faculty member may apply for use of the Antarctic Meteorite Petrographic Thin Section Package by making application by letter on University letterhead.

Please include the following information in your official letter of application:

• Name of Professor
• Name of Institution
• Department
• Address of Institution
• Telephone Number
• Planned Use
• Requested Date of Use

Send your official letter of application to:
Mary K. Luckey
Education Curator
Mail Code KT
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, Texas 77058-3696

---

ANTARCTIC METEORITE PROGRAM

Each year the NSF sends a team of scientists to collect meteorites on the blue ice in Antarctica. These meteorites belong to the Smithsonian Institution, but they are processed and distributed to scientists by the Astromaterials, Acquisition, and Curation Office of NASA/JSC. A large number of meteorites have now been recovered.

---

RECEIPT

The package must be transported by registered mail. NASA will mail the package to the user, and it is the responsibility of the user to return the package to NASA. There is no other cost to the educational institution for the use of the material.

---

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Petrographic microscopes with reflected light capability and dry object lenses. Oil is not allowed. The recommended text is METEORITES A Petrologic-Chemical Synthesis by Robert T. Dodd, Cambridge University Press.