Meteorite “Hocheppan” – a Forensic Study
Karl Wimmer
published: 5 July 2018
According to Meteoritic Bulletin entry “Hocheppan” an H5 chondrite of 1.236 kg with mostly intact fusion crust was found in October 2016 on a hillside covered with scree below Gantkofel mountain in Northern Italy. The appearance of the meteorite as seen in pictures from the find location raised questions about the authenticity of the find.
A forensic study by the author to address these questions included the thorough inspection of the find location, an extensive interview with the finder and detailed investigations of the meteorite features by XRF, Raman and microscopy.
After all, the attempt to authenticate the find failed. The results of the study show consistently that the meteorite spent a major part of its terrestrial dwelling in a desert far from the find location.
