UCLA Meteorite Gallery
Geology Building, Room 3697
595 Charles Young Drive East
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Email: meteorites@ucla.edu
Phone: 310-825-2015

To sign up for our newsletter please email us at meteorites@ucla.edu

UCLA NO LONGER ACCEPTS SUSPECTED METEORITES FOR IDENTIFICATION.

UCLA no longer accepts specimens of suspected meteorites for identification. Specimens sent in the mail will not be opened and will not be returned. Specimens brought in person will not be accepted and will not be examined. No member of the staff is devoted to specimen identification. Meteorites from the general public will not be verified or appraised. UCLA is not responsible for any unsolicited specimens and is not responsible for returning them to the senders.

What to do if you think you have a meteorite?

You may try contacting the Geological Survey of your state, a local college or university or college or a local natural history museum. In addition, there are a few commercial firms that will charge a fee for examining and identifying suspected meteorites.

If you see a meteorite fall

In order to assist in the recovery of a recently fallen meteorite, you should note the exact direction in which the fireball disappeared. Select a distant landmark that is in line with the end point of the fireball's path and note carefully your own position. Listen for any accompanying sounds. It is also important to record the time and the brightness, size and shape of the fireball.

If you find a meteorite on the ground following an observed fall, take a photograph of it before picking it up. Look around for other specimens; most meteorites break into several pieces before hitting the ground; these pieces could be many tens of meters apart.

You may send this information by e-mail along with any images of recovered meteorites to the UCLA meteorite website: meteorites@ucla.edu