Event 4: Meteorite Gallery at UCLA

At the end of May, I went to the Meteorite Gallery at UCLA. Before this class, I didn't notice that there is a fantastic Meteorite Gallery located in the geology building even if I go to the geology library almost everyday. 

There are so many meteorites exhibited on the shelf, reflecting their unique colors. However, the first meteorite attracted all of my attention is a really "old guy." It is a iron meteorite with the oldest age among all of those meteorite. And only a limited information can be found about it. It was given by the Clark library in 1930s and named by the irons collected in the region near the large Meteor Crater about 50 miles E of Flagstaff, AZ.

I regard this meteorite as a good combination of arts and science. The meteorite itself is an exhibit, a form of arts, in this gallery. However, there is a poster to explain the explicit details about all aspects of the iron meteorite including formation, classification, and composition. For example, advanced technology applied in formation of iron meteorite structures. Fe-Ni phase diagram shows how much Ni contains in this meteorite besides iron. Science and technology actually helps to obtain those information, thus completing this meteorite exhibition.

On my way back to the geology library, I found the "UCLA" sign made by a specific type of minerals. So I start to consider that third culture not necessarily comes from our fields. It can appear from a unknown gallery, a popular library and even everywhere.