A Meteorite Hunt in the Mojave

Join us while we look for meteorites on a few dry lake beds in the Mojave Desert!
Video by Jason Utas and Krista Sawchuk.
Music used:
- Peach Cobbler, iMovie creative commons
- Look Busy, Kevin MacLeod / incompetech.com, creative commons
- Creek Whistle, Steve Adams, public domain
- The Twister, Dan Lebowitz, public domain
- Palmtrees, The Brothers Records, public domain
Spoilers:
Day 1: No finds.
Day 2: The first find was an ~LL5, second find is an oriented ~L or LL3. The rest of the meteorites appear to be paired, ~H4-6.
All of the meteorites are chondrites, which formed ~4.54 billion years ago in our solar nebula.
This video was made as part of a UCLA EPSS booth for Exploring Your Universe, an outreach event that went online for two years due to Covid 19.

[@freshimpactco.8698]

I really loved the footage of the rock being shifted across the sand wow it is quite incredible how this unusual phenomenon occurs......

[@user-qf5qf9wb6m]

This is awesome! Thanks for posting! My son is interested in meteorites and loved this video!

[@halbenito]

You finally made it! I remember asking you 8 years ago to create a KZbin channel about meteorites. 😁 Congrats!!! ❤️

[@bouzadachannel5320]

Nice video jason Every meteorite do have a history to tell! Just need someone to pit some light on! Bravo We need more videos

[@jackiecarter7815]

Your meteorites are just beautiful. Thanks again for sharing your meteorites with us!

[@middleeastobserver6023]

Lovely. Plz share more of your meteorite knowledge with us. Tnx. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@mikestang7]

Good stuff, Jason! Location #2 is one of my favorite spots to hunt.

[@robbieraaf1420]

Jason, I started watching the video and thought..I've met that guy hunting meteorites at Sutters Mill. Great video. I hope you're well.

[@michaelpadilla8020]

Love the page. I've found several meteorites around the Barstow area. I recognize the dirt road in the beginning. I go up that road to drywash for gold.

[@jjuanmarin]

guy is driving super fast

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Road to the first lake is well-graded in parts, can do about 35 mph in a few spots. Most of it is ~5-15 mph though..

[@civicrhdeg6763]

Nice thank you for the vid🖖

[@jackiecarter7815]

I found this crazy beautiful rock that looks like an everlasting gob stopper. It's tiny squares of black and white crystals and on the top of it is beautiful green and white cross crystals and on top of that is amethyst and surrounded by silver cross gated fool's gold. Let me tell you I have no idea what kind of stone it is but I love its beauty. I found my meteorite close by in the same part of the Mohave desert. Thank you for sharing your meteorites with us.

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Hmmm, sounds like a mineral specimen more than a meteorite. Not sure how comments work here, can you link photos?

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

Nice video dude

[@Ken-xe9hq]

Nice video Jason I just found your channel. Ken

[@fredapedregon]

Great video. I'm out in the desert rockhounding twice a month. I've never found one. If I do I'll note the gps. Thanks for sharing.

[@jasonsnyder9394]

Nice finds Jason. Lots of nice pieces from StV.? If not StV, sure did look like it. Happy hunting.

[@MeteoriteGallery]

I'm not posting locations on here, but I'm sure hunters will be able to recognize some spots.

[@freshimpactco.8698]

Phew day 2 success 😆😉👍🏻😄

[@spacematter1cm]

Jason! Very nice video! You are so humble finding something most will never find in their lifetime, a testament to your experience in the field. Great video!

[@devinwelborn5211]

I live in Nevada and I am curious what dry lake the stones moving on ice were filmed. Thanks

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Most lakes out there have meteorites on them, except the puffy / salty ones. We've seen moving stones and evidence of moving stones on almost every dry lake we've been to.

[@sicilianauntie]

I am taking my Minor Miners out meteorite hunting next weekend. Can you tell me what pull weight the magnets should have. We want to make some magnet sticks. Also, can you use the ones that have the counter sink holes?

[@MeteoriteGallery]

They discontinued the Craftsman pickup canes we use when Sears sold off Craftsman's line of products. I bought a few different brands: the Ullman "8-1/4" to 30-1/4" Extended Handle Length, 10 lb Capacity" canes appear to be the most similar and durable, of the ones I have tried. They're on Amazon and around.

[@abboudaldaher]

Hello, how are you? I have a number of stones. I think they are meteorites. How do I contact you?

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Post images to the group "Is it a meteorite?" on Facebook or the subreddit for meteorites. Please read and follow the rules about posting.

[@jdssurf]

I tried this once and yeah I found a lot of magnetic rocks, it’s been several years, I need to start studying them again.

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Depending on the lakebed, there are can be not too many or a lot of magnetic rocks. I made a page on identifying meteorites here meteoritegallery.com/what-do-meteorites-look-like/

[@_GlobalNomad]

Great vlog, just wondering is there a good market for the meteorites, how is the demand?

[@MeteoriteGallery]

There is a good collector market for meteorites, but we have never sold anything we have found, and I don't think we plan to..

[@azcuetaandraimiguelc.4936]

🇵🇭

[@rafaelbaeza163]

Have you ever find good ones worth money. ,, good luck

[@MeteoriteGallery]

Most US finds would be worth quite a bit regardless of their type, but we have found some rare ones.

[@EmilyTienne]

Fascinating hobby. I wish you had a microphone near your face, as your voice is soft and tends to trail off to barely audible. Thanks for the upload.

[@MeteoriteGallery]

I'm sorry - this was a last minute thing filmed mostly on an old Android phone and my IPhone 6. We got GoPros with foam enclosures after this video, but are still having some problems with wind and audio. Working on it..

[@BigFootCurt]

I live in California any places here that I can hunt.

[@lhasaroadrat9374]

desert!!

[@michaelpadilla8020]

Like they said, the desert. There are several dry lakes around the Barstow area that I have found some on. Not all are Iron meteorites, there is another but I'm afraid I've forgotten the name. Carbon-something or other. I've even found a full iron about 2 inches long shaped like a fang. Just looked like a cool rock when I first found it on a hillside where I hunt..

[@MeteoriteGallery]

There are lots of lakebeds in the SW and in CA. If you go to the Meteoritical Bulletin online database you can make lists of meteorites from geographic areas to find good areas to hunt.

[@greenfinchgreenfinch3094]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣