Mail-in meteorite testing
Is it a meteorite? Get measured evidence.
Send your specimen to Measured Matter for XRF elemental testing and advanced laboratory methods. You will receive a clear report explaining what the evidence supports, without relying on a blurry photo or a magnet test alone.
- Non-destructive surface testing
- Photo-documented findings
- Tracked U.S. return shipping
What your order includes
A real examination. A documented result.
The service is designed to answer the practical first question: does this specimen show evidence consistent with meteoritic material, or is another explanation better supported?
Documented intake
Specimen photographs, recorded weight and dimensions, and documentation of visible surface features.
Physical screening
Magnetic response and other appropriate non-destructive observations are recorded and considered.
XRF analysis
Accessible areas are screened for their instrument-reported elemental composition, with multiple readings when useful.
Findings report
A photo-documented PDF explains the evidence in plain language and states the appropriate screening finding.
Your principal analyst
Scientific interpretation by a scientist.
An instrument can produce numbers. The difficult part is deciding what those numbers mean, whether the surface is representative, which terrestrial materials could produce similar readings, and when the available evidence is not yet enough.
Justin Black is the Principal Analyst for Measured Matter. He holds a PhD in Astronomy and MS in Physics. His scientific training provides the foundation for evaluating competing explanations, interpreting elemental data, selecting the next useful test, and reporting the degree of certainty the evidence actually supports.
When a specimen is confirmed or strongly supported as meteoritic, Justin can carry the work forward into scientific classification to the level supported by the data. Suspected stony meteorites can be escalated to advanced laboratory analysis rather than being forced into a conclusion from surface XRF alone.
What your report can conclude
A finding and a classification.
Your report states the strongest conclusion the available evidence supports. It does not turn uncertainty into a sales-friendly certificate.
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Not meteoritic
The evidence better supports terrestrial rock, slag, manufactured metal, or another non-meteoritic explanation.
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Meteoritic evidence
The measured characteristics are consistent with, or strongly support, meteoritic material and the basis for that finding is explained.
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Classification
When the required evidence is available, the report identifies the supported class and may include a narrower group or petrologic type.
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Inconclusive
Weathering, coatings, limited accessible material, mixed readings, or insufficient diagnostic evidence prevent a responsible conclusion.
Simple mail-in process
From your shelf to a clear finding.
Do not mail a specimen before placing an order. Your confirmation email will include the order reference and packaging instructions.
Place your order
Tell us what you know about the specimen, including where it came from and why you suspect it may be meteoritic.
Mail the specimen
Package it securely and ship it to Measured Matter using a tracked method. You are responsible for inbound shipping.
Receive the result
Your digital findings report is normally completed within seven business days after delivery, and your specimen is returned with tracking.
Before you order
Frequently Asked Questions
Who actually examines my specimen?
Justin Black, PhD, serves as Principal Analyst and personally reviews each specimen and Findings Report. He holds a PhD in Astronomy and MS in Physics. The analysis is not outsourced to a reseller and is not reduced to an automated instrument printout.
Will you tell me definitively whether it is a meteorite?
When the combined physical and elemental evidence is diagnostic, the report can strongly support or rule out a meteoritic origin. Some altered, coated, very small, or compositionally ambiguous specimens remain inconclusive. A credible stony candidate may require a prepared surface, petrographic examination, or mineral-composition analysis before a definitive conclusion is responsible.
Can Measured Matter classify a meteorite?
Yes, when the specimen is supported as meteoritic and the necessary data are available. The report can include a scientific class and, where supported, a narrower group or petrologic type. Official naming and recognition through the Meteoritical Society is a separate process and is not automatically included in the standard order.
What happens if my specimen may be a stony meteorite?
If the initial examination leaves a scientifically credible stony candidate, Measured Matter can proceed to additional analysis suited to mineral texture and composition. A fresh cut or prepared surface may be necessary. You will be contacted first, and no cutting or destructive preparation will occur without your written authorization. Necessary advanced analysis for a credible candidate is included, but it may extend turnaround time.
Will the standard test damage my specimen?
No intentional cutting, filing, grinding, drilling, polishing, acid etching, or destructive sampling is performed during the standard examination. Testing is performed on accessible surfaces. Existing loose material, corrosion, coatings, dirt, weathering, or uneven geometry may affect the readings and will be documented when relevant.
What size specimen can I send?
The standard $79 order covers one securely shippable specimen weighing no more than 10 pounds and measuring no more than 12 inches in any dimension. Contact Measured Matter before ordering for larger, unusually fragile, highly valuable, powdered, leaking, contaminated, or otherwise difficult-to-handle material.
What happens if it is not a meteorite?
You still receive the full examination and signed Findings Report. The fee pays for documentation, measurements, analysis, scientific interpretation, reporting, and standard return shipping. It is not contingent on a positive result and is not refunded because the specimen is found to be terrestrial.
Do you appraise, buy, sell, or prove a lunar or Martian origin?
No. The standard service does not include monetary appraisal, purchase offers, brokerage, resale assistance, provenance verification, or a claim that a specimen is lunar or Martian. Rare-origin claims may require specialized comparative mineralogical or isotopic work beyond the standard service and independent formal review.
PhD-led meteorite testing
Stop asking the internet. Get a documented scientific answer.
Send one specimen for physical examination, XRF elemental analysis, principal-analyst interpretation, and classification when the evidence supports it.