I think I found a meteorite in my onion.

Shepherd · 12th July 2020, 05:41 AM

This morning I was going to chop up an onion to add to the pinto beans I had soaked in my crock pot overnight, and so I opened a 3 lb bag of yellow onions that I had bought at Walmart 2 weeks ago. I grabbed one of the bigger ones which was approximately 3 inches in diameter and proceeded to cut off the top and bottom and start peeling off the papery skin. It was then that I noticed some apparently thickened yellowish areas on the layer underneath. I began cutting those off and then saw that one had an unusually dark spot in the middle of it.

I poked at the dark spot and the dark spot fell out like it was a pebble or something. After looking at the object, the pebble, more closely I decided it could actually be a small meteorite. Knowing that most meteorites have some iron content, I then found a ceramic magnet and put it to the test, and it was indeed attracted to the magnet. I could even get it to stick to the magnet in some orientations.

Unfortunately, I had continued to cut off the spot on the onion where the object had been embedded before I had thought much about it, so I had to try piecing my onion back together to see where exactly on the onion the object had been. It was apparently on the middle side at almost 90 degrees to what should have been the vertical - considering that roots are typically on the bottom side of onion bulbs, of course.

I couldn't find a piece of the onion skin with a hole in it, so it might have already been missing some skin from around the area where the object was when I first starting peeling the onion. The object had apparently pierced the papery skin and the first thick layer of the onion and had made an indention into the second layer. The inside of the first thick layer looked cratered as if the layer had been dessicated around the object. That layer was visibly thinner around where the object had been as could be seen from what would have normally been the inside of the layer. This couldn't be seen from the outside, however.

Anyway, the possible meteorite is only about 6.5 mm on its longest dimension - so not very impressive in size.

If it is a small meteorite, it's interesting to think about how it got into the side of my onion. It definitely looked like it had punched through the skin and the first fleshy layer of the onion at some point rather than having been slowly pressed into it - and from a direction approximately normal to the surface.

steenkh · 12th July 2020, 06:26 AM

An object of that size has very little kinetic energy when free-falling - which is what meteorites do when they get that far - so it is unlikely to punch through anything except possibly cobwebs.

The small metallic object would more likely be a piece worn off a farm machine when the onion was harvested.

Myriad · 12th July 2020, 06:27 AM

A meteorite is a strong hypothesis. I would want to rule out all types of bullets (including e.g. slingshot pellets) before concluding it's a meteorite for certain.

theprestige · 12th July 2020, 07:14 AM

The onion bulb is an underground organ of the plant. I think the most likely explanation is a small pebble that got embedded between layers of leaf bases as they grew.

MRC_Hans · 12th July 2020, 07:30 AM

As already said, the penetration power of such a small object in free fall is very small. It will not fall very fast, and it has to both penetrate some earth and the surface of the onion.

As for some kind of projectile, it needs not be the projectile proper; it could have been accelerated into the onion by a projectile hitting the ground.

If it is indeed a meteorite, it is probably a part of a somewhat larger meteorite that hit the ground nearby and shattered.

Hans

sackett · 12th July 2020, 08:00 AM

Will you add it to your beans?

shemp · 12th July 2020, 08:18 AM

What a coincidence! I once found an onion in my meteorite!

Skeptic Ginger · 12th July 2020, 01:11 PM

Need more information:

How strongly is it attracted to the magnet?

Weakly: there are very few meteorites that are weakly attracted.

Strong attraction: there is a lot of metal, a part off farm equipment is more likely than a meteorite.

We need a picture, preferably of both sides.

6.5 mm is pretty small, it's so odd any debris from the soil would make it into an onion. As for the penetration stuff, meh. A tiny meteorite would land on the surface but then be tilled into the soil by farming activity.

Random piece of metal in the onion, 99+% likely
Meteorite, probably less than 1% likely.

But it's not zero. We need a pic.

Doghouse Reilly · 12th July 2020, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by shemp

What a coincidence! I once found an onion in my meteorite!

I once found a meteorite in the onion I found in a meteorite.

arthwollipot · 12th July 2020, 08:41 PM

Meteorites are like ogres.

rjh01 · 13th July 2020, 04:46 AM

What might have happened is that the object was above the onion and instead of the onion moving the object out the way when it grew it grew around it. The object might have been in the soil for a long time.

I have no opinion as to what the object is. However I suggest you look at this page that will give you an idea of what it is https://geology.com/meteorites/meteo...fication.shtml

Belz... · 13th July 2020, 05:08 AM

How about a picture of the thing, eh?

Darat · 13th July 2020, 05:12 AM

I've had potatoes which have had small pebbles/large pieces of grit embedded in them. I don't grow onions but I would have thought given how they grow they would be even more prone to it, I know spring onions and leeks are. I really think the chances of this being a small meteorite is one of the less likely explanations!

gypsyjackson · 13th July 2020, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by Belz...

How about a picture of the thing, eh?

Belz... · 13th July 2020, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by gypsyjackson

http://www.internationalskeptics.com...c7c057949b.png

Ok, meteorite confirmed.

Trebuchet · 13th July 2020, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Meteorites are like ogres.

Dang, I've been struggling to come up with a way to get that reference in and you nailed it!

As others have said:
Likely a bit of iron off farm machinery.
Pictures needed.
If an actual meteorite, it didn't punch its way into the onion, it was already in the onion which grew around it.

I'll also note the OP hasn't been back since the first post.

steenkh · 13th July 2020, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Trebuchet

I'll also note the OP hasn't been back since the first post.

He or she may have been discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm for the theory displayed by the forum members.

I actually wanted to be more encouraging by pointing out that it is known that tiny meteorites rain down over us all the time, and there was an article in Sky & Telescope (I think) about micrometeorites you could find in your rain gutter, but I didn’t because a few issues later experts raised doubts about all the samples of the article.

But in general, you would need to look at the crystal structure of the meteorite in order to find out if it really is one. So Shepherd should try to saw through the tiny piece of metal and look at it with a good magnifying glass.

PhantomWolf · 13th July 2020, 10:52 PM

One way to tell is that Meteorites have a heat crust on them where the material has melted on entry.

Skeptic Ginger · 13th July 2020, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by gypsyjackson

http://www.internationalskeptics.com...c7c057949b.png

12th July 2020, 05:41 AM	#1
Shepherd Critical Thinker Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 400	I think I found a meteorite in my onion. This morning I was going to chop up an onion to add to the pinto beans I had soaked in my crock pot overnight, and so I opened a 3 lb bag of yellow onions that I had bought at Walmart 2 weeks ago. I grabbed one of the bigger ones which was approximately 3 inches in diameter and proceeded to cut off the top and bottom and start peeling off the papery skin. It was then that I noticed some apparently thickened yellowish areas on the layer underneath. I began cutting those off and then saw that one had an unusually dark spot in the middle of it. I poked at the dark spot and the dark spot fell out like it was a pebble or something. After looking at the object, the pebble, more closely I decided it could actually be a small meteorite. Knowing that most meteorites have some iron content, I then found a ceramic magnet and put it to the test, and it was indeed attracted to the magnet. I could even get it to stick to the magnet in some orientations. Unfortunately, I had continued to cut off the spot on the onion where the object had been embedded before I had thought much about it, so I had to try piecing my onion back together to see where exactly on the onion the object had been. It was apparently on the middle side at almost 90 degrees to what should have been the vertical - considering that roots are typically on the bottom side of onion bulbs, of course. I couldn't find a piece of the onion skin with a hole in it, so it might have already been missing some skin from around the area where the object was when I first starting peeling the onion. The object had apparently pierced the papery skin and the first thick layer of the onion and had made an indention into the second layer. The inside of the first thick layer looked cratered as if the layer had been dessicated around the object. That layer was visibly thinner around where the object had been as could be seen from what would have normally been the inside of the layer. This couldn't be seen from the outside, however. Anyway, the possible meteorite is only about 6.5 mm on its longest dimension - so not very impressive in size. If it is a small meteorite, it's interesting to think about how it got into the side of my onion. It definitely looked like it had punched through the skin and the first fleshy layer of the onion at some point rather than having been slowly pressed into it - and from a direction approximately normal to the surface.
Shepherd Critical Thinker Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 400

12th July 2020, 06:26 AM	#2
steenkh Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 6,363	An object of that size has very little kinetic energy when free-falling - which is what meteorites do when they get that far - so it is unlikely to punch through anything except possibly cobwebs. The small metallic object would more likely be a piece worn off a farm machine when the onion was harvested.
	__________________ Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none!

12th July 2020, 06:27 AM	#3
Myriad The Clarity Is Devastating Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Betwixt Posts: 19,042	A meteorite is a strong hypothesis. I would want to rule out all types of bullets (including e.g. slingshot pellets) before concluding it's a meteorite for certain.
	__________________ A zømbie once bit my sister...

12th July 2020, 07:30 AM	#5
MRC_Hans Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 24,074	As already said, the penetration power of such a small object in free fall is very small. It will not fall very fast, and it has to both penetrate some earth and the surface of the onion. As for some kind of projectile, it needs not be the projectile proper; it could have been accelerated into the onion by a projectile hitting the ground. If it is indeed a meteorite, it is probably a part of a somewhat larger meteorite that hit the ground nearby and shattered. Hans
	__________________ Experience is an excellent teacher, but she sends large bills.

12th July 2020, 08:00 AM	#6
sackett Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Detroit Posts: 7,479	Will you add it to your beans?
	__________________ If you would learn a man's character, give him authority. If you would ruin a man's character, let him seize power.

12th July 2020, 07:14 AM	#4
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Antimemetics Division Posts: 59,517	The onion bulb is an underground organ of the plant. I think the most likely explanation is a small pebble that got embedded between layers of leaf bases as they grew.

12th July 2020, 08:18 AM	#7
shemp a flimsy character...perfidious and despised Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Out back preparing the bunker for the next Civil War Posts: 48,670	What a coincidence! I once found an onion in my meteorite!
	__________________ Counting the days to Civil War II.

12th July 2020, 01:11 PM	#8
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 92,195	Need more information: How strongly is it attracted to the magnet? Weakly: there are very few meteorites that are weakly attracted. Strong attraction: there is a lot of metal, a part off farm equipment is more likely than a meteorite. We need a picture, preferably of both sides. 6.5 mm is pretty small, it's so odd any debris from the soil would make it into an onion. As for the penetration stuff, meh. A tiny meteorite would land on the surface but then be tilled into the soil by farming activity. Random piece of metal in the onion, 99+% likely Meteorite, probably less than 1% likely. But it's not zero. We need a pic.
	Last edited by Skeptic Ginger; 12th July 2020 at 01:12 PM.

12th July 2020, 08:35 PM	#9
Doghouse Reilly Adrift on an uncharted sea Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,410	Originally Posted by shemp What a coincidence! I once found an onion in my meteorite! I once found a meteorite in the onion I found in a meteorite.

12th July 2020, 08:41 PM	#10
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 76,941	Meteorites are like ogres.
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13th July 2020, 04:46 AM	#11
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Flying around in the sky Posts: 27,334	What might have happened is that the object was above the onion and instead of the onion moving the object out the way when it grew it grew around it. The object might have been in the soil for a long time. I have no opinion as to what the object is. However I suggest you look at this page that will give you an idea of what it is https://geology.com/meteorites/meteo...fication.shtml
	__________________ This signature is for rent.

13th July 2020, 05:08 AM	#12
Belz... Fiend God Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: In a post-fact world Posts: 96,875	How about a picture of the thing, eh?
	__________________ Master of the Shining Darkness "My views are nonsense. So what?" - BobTheCoward

13th July 2020, 05:12 AM	#13
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 102,509	I've had potatoes which have had small pebbles/large pieces of grit embedded in them. I don't grow onions but I would have thought given how they grow they would be even more prone to it, I know spring onions and leeks are. I really think the chances of this being a small meteorite is one of the less likely explanations!
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

13th July 2020, 08:21 AM	#14
gypsyjackson Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 1,483	Originally Posted by Belz... How about a picture of the thing, eh?

13th July 2020, 08:27 AM	#15
Belz... Fiend God Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: In a post-fact world Posts: 96,875	Originally Posted by gypsyjackson http://www.internationalskeptics.com...c7c057949b.png Ok, meteorite confirmed.
	__________________ Master of the Shining Darkness "My views are nonsense. So what?" - BobTheCoward

13th July 2020, 10:49 AM	#16
Trebuchet Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Port Townsend, Washington Posts: 34,177	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Meteorites are like ogres. Dang, I've been struggling to come up with a way to get that reference in and you nailed it! As others have said: Likely a bit of iron off farm machinery. Pictures needed. If an actual meteorite, it didn't punch its way into the onion, it was already in the onion which grew around it. I'll also note the OP hasn't been back since the first post.
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13th July 2020, 10:31 PM	#17
steenkh Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 6,363	Originally Posted by Trebuchet I'll also note the OP hasn't been back since the first post. He or she may have been discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm for the theory displayed by the forum members. I actually wanted to be more encouraging by pointing out that it is known that tiny meteorites rain down over us all the time, and there was an article in Sky & Telescope (I think) about micrometeorites you could find in your rain gutter, but I didn’t because a few issues later experts raised doubts about all the samples of the article. But in general, you would need to look at the crystal structure of the meteorite in order to find out if it really is one. So Shepherd should try to saw through the tiny piece of metal and look at it with a good magnifying glass.
	__________________ Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none!

13th July 2020, 10:52 PM	#18
PhantomWolf Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 21,203	One way to tell is that Meteorites have a heat crust on them where the material has melted on entry.
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13th July 2020, 11:04 PM	#19
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 92,195	Originally Posted by gypsyjackson http://www.internationalskeptics.com...c7c057949b.png