WANTED: A rugged person seeking a profitable career in the great outdoors. The position requires an adventurer's daring, an explorer's grit, and a jeweler's keen eye. The rewards are hefty, and not only in money: You will be helping your customers connect with the universe.
Does this sound like a job you might want to apply for someday? If so, welcome to the world of meteorite hunting. Meteorites are pieces of space rock. They break off from larger space rocks, the Moon, or planets and then drop to Earth. Meteorites are different from meteors. Meteors burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Meteorites, though, hit the ground. Hunting for meteorites is hard work. But the pay can be, well, sky-high.
Why Hunt for Meteorites?
Collectors pay top dollar for meteorites. These rocks, after all, come from outer space. They are usually millions if not billions of years old. And they often contain matter not found on Earth. As such, they have great value to scientists, private collectors, and museums. Artists even use the meteorites' out-of-this-world metals, jewels, and crystals to create high-end jewelry and artwork.
Meteorites are also exceedingly rare. And that means high price tags. Indeed, some have sold for over a million dollars. No wonder meteorite hunters travel the world to snag their bounty.
How to Find Meteorites
NASA recommends following several steps to locate meteorites. The first is to visit meteor tracking websites. People around the world use these websites to report meteor sightings. Sightings may indicate meteorite falls. These are meteorites that have been observed as they fell to Earth. Some websites provide details such as the pathway and endpoint of the meteors. These details help hunters determine the general area where meteorites might have fallen.
Once a meteorite fall is reported, meteorite hunters get data from different tools. These help zero in on the meteorite's location. NASA suggests using meteor cameras first and then weather radar. Reviewing weather radar data can be tricky, however. So NASA provides free online help. Meteorite hunters can then descend on the area to find their treasure.
Generally, the easiest places to spot meteorites are desert and polar landscapes. Meteorites stand out in sand and snow.
Out in the Field
Michael Farmer is one of the world's leading meteorite hunters. He has conducted hunts across the globe. In 2022, Farmer auctioned off 84 of his rarest pieces. The centerpiece was valued at over $190,000. Emil Davidsson hunts meteorites for months on end in the Arctic Circle and South America's Atacama Desert. He then creates jewelry from his finds.
Ready to get in on the meteorite madness? In 2023, there was a meteorite fall near part of the U.S.-Canada border. A Maine museum is offering a $25,000 reward to the first person who finds a single fragment of it weighing at least 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). And keep your eyes on the skies—you never know where a meteorite might fall!
This article would help a student write an essay on __________.
a. the flight patterns of space rocks found in our solar system
b. the various ways weather radar data can be used
c. the unique geographical features of polar landscapes
d. the most common uses of weather prediction websites
1 answer