From the July 2026 issue

How can I get a rock tested to see if it’s a meteorite?

Testing a rock to see if it’s a meteorite consists of examining its chemical makeup. Some commercial companies provide testing for a nominal charge.

By Astronomy Staff | Published: May 21, 2026 | Last updated on May 27, 2026

A close-up photograph of two hands cradling a dark, angular meteorite. The rock is roughly fist-sized with a black, slightly textured fusion crust and irregular flat faces, characteristic of a chondrite meteorite.

A meteorite that landed in Madagascar in July 2018 shows the depressions (called regmaglypts) and the black fusion crust characteristic of such objects. Credit: Wits University

How and where are rocks tested to see if they’re meteorites? Can a member of the public get one tested?

Kenneth Templeton
North Augusta, South Carolina

Numerous people collect rocks and suspect they’re meteorites, either because they look odd or because they believe they have seen a “fall” and have recovered an object. But it’s virtually impossible to determine whether a meteorite is genuine on your own, or by visual inspection.