AGMC "Rock Club," Mars and the Moon, a con?

System:		Trigonal	Colour:	Amber-yellow, ...
Lustre:		Sub-Adamantine, Vitreous, Resinous	Hardness:	2½ - 3½

Name:

Named in 1852 after the type locality, Barranco Jaroso in southern Spain.

Jarosite

The members of the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club (AGMC) are a serious group of rock collectors, geologists and mineral hobbyists.The 100 people attending the monthly meeting look the part. Pony tails, long hair, digging garb and faces wrinkled by the New Mexico sun. These people are not yuppies. One of them I met at the last meeting has several turquoise claims which he personally mines near Gallisteo.

Tonights program was delivered by the head of the geology department at NM Tech and it was The Joys of Jarosite.

The mineral Jarosite has been discovered on Mars and he has led a research team showing how Martian Jarosite when compared with earth Jarosite found in New Mexico, proves the existence of water on Mars at some point in time.

He delivered a very erudite lecture which, while highly technical, was prepared for people who did not have a technical degree but could follow the scientific process he led and the conclusions drawn from the study.

As soon as the lecture was over we made for the stairs not wanting to socialize during the refreshment period and as we arrived at the front lobby of the Natural history museum a man approached us and said, “I’ve been listening to the lecture and if there were ever a group that would like to see what I have in this box, it is that group.” He held up a metal briefcase for me to see.

Oh no, I thought, this guy is going to try to sell us fools gold (pyrite) several spectacular samples of which we had just looked at near the exit of the AGMC meeting, which were brought in, in preparation for the next field trip to Bosque Wash. Keep your hands on your wallet I thought, this has got to be a professional con if he thinks he can pitch these guys.

“What’s in the box,” I asked,

“A lunar rock,” he responded, “I just came in here to find a safe to put it in for the night, but I haven’t found one.”

Right I thought, and he is going to tell me there is Jarosite in the lunar rock. Well, he’s talking to the wrong guy.

“Where are you from,” I asked

“NASA, we’re here for an exhibit tomorrow,”

Mars, the Moon, Jarosite all in one evening. I wish I had paid more attention, but we had already planned to take Matias to the NASA exhibit after school Tuesday. I am going to ask my friend with the metal briefcase to show him the moon sample.