“I don’t know any rich meteorite collectors.”
Randy Korotev, Geochemist
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| Photo from Popgive.com |
One of the most rare extraterrestrial rocks fell from the sky and landed in a most down-to-earth place: Conception Junction, Missouri (population 197). A farmer found it in 2006 and knew he had something special when he sawed off the end and discovered green crystals sprinkled throughout. In 2009 the farmer sold the rock to a group of amateur meteorite collectors. The collectors took the rock to experts at Washington University in St. Louis and UCLA to find out what they had. Last week the experts announced the rock is a rare type of pallasite meteorite—1 of only 20 that have been found in the United States. The meteorite, named “Conception Junction” for the town where it was found, is valued at $30 to $50 a gram. At 37.5 pounds, the meteorite's total worth could top $850,000. But these collectors aren’t going to get rich. They’ve already donated most of the meteorite to universities and museums.
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