Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Official, provisional or doubtful

Database status matters. “Official” identifies an accepted name; “Provisional” has not yet received formal approval. Earlier classifications, synonyms and names marked pseudo or doubtful may also be recorded. A provisional record must not be presented in the shop as a final confirmed classification.

How AustroMeteorites uses MetBull

For named meteorites, spelling, official status and published classification are checked against the current MetBull record. Provenance, mass and the link between the offered fragment and that material still require separate documentation — a database record alone does not authenticate an arbitrary specimen.

What a record contains

An MBDB record may include the approved name, synonyms, status, fall or find year, locality, coordinates, total mass, number of pieces, classification, shock and weathering, and literature. Detail varies with the age and quality of the publication.

Especially important are the institutions holding type material and, where applicable, thin sections. This reference material enables later verification and forms part of the formal approval process for new meteorites.

What the database does not prove

The database is not a complete inventory of every sold fragment, owner or market price. In dense collection areas such as Northwest Africa, separately numbered finds may later be paired, while visual similarity alone does not prove pairing.

A valid record confirms the name and published scientific data. Whether a particular traded specimen belongs to it still depends on labels, ownership history, photographs and sometimes analysis. Official record and provenance serve different purposes.