From Rob Wesel, meteorite-lover and -purveyor.
For some time I have wanted to get a tattoo to depict my appreciation for meteorites.
On September 28, 1969 meteorites fell in Murchison, Australia.On September 28, 2004 our daughter Christina (a.k.a. Pinky) was born.
As if wasn’t already a top-fiver for it’s amino acids, Murchison quickly moved up the ranks of my favorite meteorites and I had decided it would somehow be involved in the meteorite tattoo.
With a little help from friends Steve Arnold (IMB) and Jason Phillips I obtained a small capsule of Murchison crumbs to pulverize and one day add to the ink.
I ultimately decided on a carbon buckeyball, found in Murchison, unrolled and laid out flat. With Murchison fully represented in design and medium, I had the tattoo artist make one carbon atom bright pink in honor of Pinky. Although it’s only the size of the head of a pin, it means the world to her…and me.
More of Rob’s description here.
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Originally published April 13, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.