Have you seen a metoerite hitnear you and you have gone and goten it

[caleb]

Have you seen a metoerite land near you and you have gone and goten it, also how big was it? :eyepop:

[ballaratdragons]

ummmm . . . No & No.

Plus, it is illegal to pick up meteorites.

shhhhhh, who's gonna know :whistle:

[iceman]

It's pretty rare to see a meteorite at all (one that reaches the ground). Most of what we see burns up in the atmosphere and never reaches the ground (meteors).

[citivolus]

I know of people back in Canada finding them on frozen lakes in the winter, but other than that you'll have a tough time tracking them down.

[CosMos]

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/430438%3Fformat=html

The above happened close to the Auckland Stardome in 2004.

[Chrissyo]

Is it illegal to actually pick up / touch the meteorite? Or is it just illegal to not hand them into the authorities? Also, what about shops and dealers who sell meteorites (there is one group that advertises meteorite jewellery in some of the AUS astronomy magazines). What's the legality of that?

[Garyh]

I would get it if I saw one hit the ground! :)
I know there is no problems collecting tektites as long as you are not exporting them.I have a bunch of them from W.A and S.A But I always see Australian ones on ebay in the US! as well as meteorites!
Not sure about actual meteorites being illegal to have or collect...maybe different from state to state?

[leon]

I wish, one can land in my yard anytime.

Leon

[ballaratdragons]

The only 'legal' stuff I have read about it is that you must report a meteorite find, and leave it undisturbed. Then a troupe of geeks in white suits come out and study the location, then take the meteorite away.

I now you can collect bolides and tektites, but I think they mean Big ones :shrug:

[Rob_K]

Commonwealth legislation applies only to the export of meteorites, under the 'Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act" -

http://www.meteorites.com.au/found/law.html (http://www.meteorites.com.au/found/law.html)

Not sure about all the State laws, but in the Northern Territory at least, it is illegal to collect meteorites or tektites off the ground, under their "Meteorites Act". All such objects belong to the NT government. Mind you, they also step away from any liability for loss/damage caused by a meteorite! Link here:

http://notes.nt.gov.au/dcm/legislat/legislat.nsf/d989974724db65b1482561cf0017cbd2/0196cfb748e5fa7b69256921007d6960?Op enDocument (http://notes.nt.gov.au/dcm/legislat/legislat.nsf/d989974724db65b1482561cf0017cbd2/0196cfb748e5fa7b69256921007d6960?Op enDocument)

So check relevant State laws....

Cheers -

[Outbackmanyep]

I also read that if you witnessed a fall and you were able to get there in time, you could pick it up and not get burnt...if you could find it!

Being in the cold depths of space the outer crust ablates entering earths atmosphere, and its only a very thin crust, the core would be cold....so heat isn't an issue (depending on the length it time it stayed in the atmospheric entry) . I'd love to test the theory!!

[CoombellKid]

Never heard of any laws regarding that, why would there be???:shrug: I think
it would be more finders keepers :thumbsup: if your lucky enough.

regards,CS

[Chrissyo]

I just meant in terms of what others have said so far. If it is illegal to collect the items themselves (and if they 'belong' to the state government in some states), how would somebody get their hands on them to sell them legally? Does the government re-release finds back to individuals, or can they be purchased from the government? Or are those sold generally overseas imports?



Phil Plait talks about this in his book Bad Astronomy, if I remember correctly (pages 137 - 138, I just checked). Apparently many meteorites are found covered in frost!


Also, this is kind of related to something I once read (probably here on Iceinspace), and have always wanted to try. Apparently it is possible to collect small meteorites that have fallen on your house by placing a bucket under a down-pipe for some time (a month or more?) then sift through the garbage and use a magnet on the fine materials left in the bottom. The stuff the magnet picks up is apparently small metallic meteorites (and if I recall correctly they are usually spherical in shape)? Does anyone any further information on this, I'd really like to give it a try!

[CoombellKid]

Not to sure about that, but I must say since we live on rain water out here
in the bush, I got a 20 000 lt tank sitting right outside my back door. There
might be a possibility some maybe sitting in the mesh filter on the inlet hole.
I'll have to get myself a magnet and test the theory.

regards,CS

[citivolus]

I read about that method of collecting on cloudynights a few years back after the Leonid meteor shower I believe.

I bet you could mount some rare earth magnets right in the down spouts and periodically check them. You might get some surprises?

[Astro78]

Testing for meteorites is an interesting process. The fusion crust is always a good sign. Apparently just about everything 'magnetic' naturally occurring rusted away a long time ago. Magnetite being an exception and the most common false alarm.

Does any know the laws for NSW?

[ballaratdragons]

That was me who mentioned it about a year ago or more. :thumbsup:

I have it on one of my websites: Scroll down to 'Micro-meteorites (Space Dust)
How to find them'
http://astroken.bravehost.com/astrokenfacts.html

[fringe_dweller]

yes i'm pretty sure the ban on members of the public even touching/picking up a meteorite, certainly is the case in SA, belongs automatically to a the musuem/state. too many well funded people were just flying in from OS or interstate, hiring a cessna, flying over the big inland salt lakes here, spotting them easy and marking location on map with GPS, go out in a 4WD picking them up. got too easy when GPS became decent i think.
The only big paying legit buyers are museums in the US, and they have to follow the international rules and expect very thorough documentation, and can tell from analysis where in the world it came from ect. or so i am led to believe :) there might be exceptions maybe for the more common ones?

[fringe_dweller]

also, another factor, people stopped donating meteors to the museum as they became more sought after and worth money and a collectors market evolved, sometimes involving lots of money, 100 000's of thousands of dollars for certain rarer ones, there was one stolen from a private owner in NSW somewhere last year, that was worth a mill? au made the news i remember. So the musuems didnt want to pay 300 000 dollars for something they used to get for free, i think is a big part , same as fossils i think

[ballaratdragons]

WOW, imagine finding a double Bonus! A Meteorite with a Fossil on it :eyepop:

Name your price $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[fringe_dweller]

jackpot!! i think they did with the dead martian worm in it?

:) its funny i cant talk about meteorite's without thinking of ta line from an 80's movie? - tales from the crypt, first one? you know a collection of comic book-like horror stories come to life, with one written by and starring stephen king the writer, and a meteor lands on his farm in the midwest somewhere, and its this glowing green goo in a crater, and says the famous line, while holding some up in his hand? something like, 'ewww meteor sh*t!' :lol: its one my all time favourite lines now. :rofl::screwy::rolleyes:

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, I cracked up at that one :lol:

[Glenhuon]

I'm pretty sure I had a small one hit my house a few years back.
I was on holiday and a friend was checking the house daily, he found a rear window with a hole in it and concluded someone had thrown something at it.
When I got home there was a hole about 1 1/4" diameter in the window and a hole in the paper blind. I thought the same as he did until I found a rock by the front door at the other side of the house and a dent in the wall. Pretty sure is was a meteorite, either that or someone has a very strong throwing arm. Unfortunately I've lost the rock over a couple of moves :(.

Bill