The Meteorites of Alberta by Anthony J. Whyte, Paperback | Indigo Chapters

Excepting only the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite and the Springwater pallasite stony-iron, the suite of sixteen Alberta meteorites represents the crown jewels of Canadian meteoritic science. Abee, fifty years after its fall, remains by far the largest enstatite chondrite ever found; the mass and freshness of Bruderheim have given this ordinary chondrite great scientific significance; Innisfree, was only the third meteorite to have its orbit calculated; Iron Creek is of exceptional importance in the ethnohistory of Alberta and North American native peoples. Books about meteorites fall into two categories: either they offer a broad overview, using meteorite examples from all over the world chosen to best illustrate different aspects of meteoritic science; or, they take the form of dry, terse, often unillustrated, catalogues of meteorites. Such books deal almost exclusively with the meteorites themselves. The human history-who found the meteorites, and when and how- is often mentioned only in passing, or not at all. The meteorites of Alberta is first and foremost an historical book. The progress of meteoritic science is traced through the study of Alberta meteorites, although, because of this, some aspects are not as well covered as they would be by a conventional book. However, it is hoped that the comprehensive coverage of the scientific literature and an extensive bibliography will prove useful to meteorite researchers. The historical and human-interest accounts in the book, from the pillaging of the Iron Creek meteorite to the perilous recovery of Bruderheim fragments from the melting ice of the North Saskatchewan River, will especially appeal to many non-specialist readers. Additional chapters recount the all but forgotten story of Alberta's meteor observatories, the ongoing search for meteorites, and the death knell of the dinosaurs. The numerous, carefully chosen maps, tables, and colour and black and white photographs further enhance the experience of all readers. | The Meteorites of Alberta by Anthony J. Whyte, Paperback | Indigo Chapters