Abstract
The paleomagnetic record of meteorites provides invaluable information
about planetary formation and evolution. Yet, the potential of these
magnetic records in advancing the field of planetary science is severely
hindered by a widely used identification technique: application of hand
magnets. Here we showcase the destructive effects of touching meteorites
with magnets as exemplified by the oldest known Martian meteorite, the
Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 pairing group. We recommend that magnets not
be applied to meteorites during collection and curation. Instead, a
low-field susceptibility meter is a far more sensitive and completely
nondestructive tool for meteorite classification.