[meteorite-list] Statesboro Meteorite

From: Walter Branch <branchw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:11 2004
Message-ID: <000901c41b41$88b983e0$1b39dc44_at_wbranch>

Hi Ken and List,

>I think he should have taken the $25,000.

Agreed. At over $12.00/gram for an L5, that rivals some of the "offers" I
have seen on this list.

Statesboro is only an hour away from me. Spent six years there working on a
BA and MS and met a cute blond in one of the undergraduate Statistics labs I
was teaching, whom I married two years later.

When I heard of it I started to investigate it but when I learned how
unreasonable the finder was, I backed out.

The Savannah News Reporter Ron referenced earlier contacted me recently
about meteorite hits, and I was able to help him out with some facts.

-Walter
------------------------------------------
www.branchmeteorites.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "ken newton" <magellon_at_earthlink.net>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Statesboro Meteorite


> The ebay listing is:
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2235008196&category=3239
>
> I think he should have taken the $25,000.
> Perhaps a meteorite dealer would venture an estimate of this meteorite's
> wholesale value?
> Inquiring minds would like to know. :>)
> Best,
> Ken
> #9632
> http://imca.cc
>
>
>
> Ron Baalke wrote:
>
> >http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/040504/LOC_meteorite.shtml
> >
> >Mega-dollar meteorite
> >
> >Bulloch County farmer holding out for big bucks for not-so-big
> >rock
> >
> >By Robert Branch
> >Savannah Morning News
> >April 5, 2004
> >
> >A prime piece of extraterrestrial real estate is for sale in Bulloch
> >County. The owner has already turned down an offer of $25,000
> >for it. But whoever buys it can't build a house on it or sell it for
> >commercial development because it's no bigger than the palm of
> >an adult human hand.
> >
> >It's a meteorite, formed billions of years ago when the universe
> >was new, say scientists who have examined it. It is called the
> >Statesboro Meteorite because meteorites are typically named
> >for the nearest city, county or other geographic feature.
> >
> >Farmer Harold Cannon unearthed the meteorite four years ago
> >while operating a bean picker in one of his fields. He said he
> >knew it was no ordinary rock when he picked it up.
> >
> >Ultimately, he took the six-pound object to the department of
> >geology and geography at Georgia Southern University.
> >
> >In order for a meteorite to be officially recognized by the
> >international scientific community, a "type specimen" of at
> >least 20 grams must be analyzed by a qualified curatorial facility.
> >
> >GSU research scientist Michael Kelley sent samples of the
> >meteorite to the Smithsonian and a college in Pennsylvania.
> >Tests show it is a relatively common meteorite known as a
> >chondrite, made up of metals and stony minerals.
> >
> >Kelley also sent a few grams to the Space Science Laboratory at
> >the University of California at Berkeley.
> >
> >"Scientists there will carbon date the sample to see if they can
> >determine how long it has been on the surface of the Earth,"
> >Kelley said, adding they'll also study gases trapped in the
> >mineral grains to determine how long it traveled through space
> >before landing here.
> >
> >Although scientists at GSU have made Cannon an offer for the
> >meteorite, it's currently for sale on eBay. Cannon said GSU
> >wouldn't meet his price.
> >
> >"He said he wanted to try getting as much money as he can for
> >it," said Kelley "We certainly would like to have it in our
> >museum but we have a limited amount we would be able to offer
> >him."
> >
> >Kelley wouldn't say what that amount is, but he said meteorites,
> >depending upon the type and quality, can sell for anywhere from
> >$3 to $8 per gram. Cannon's chondrite weighs 2,061 grams.
> >
> >Cannon's Internet listing includes a description and photo of the
> >meteorite, along with a note from alerting bidders that he has
> >already turned down an offer for $25,000.
> >
> >At last check the bids on the site hadn't exceeded $150.
> >
> >Sometimes meteorites are broken up and the pieces sold, but
> >Cannon said he will sell his find whole. Fernbank Science Center
> >in Atlanta offered to buy a piece, but their price was too low for
> >Cannon.
> >
> >Ed Albin, an astronomer at Fernbank, said the museum there has
> >sections of 23 meteorites that have been found in Georgia and
> >would like to have Cannon's.
> >
> >"I'm not sure we have the funds to acquire a meteorite," Albin
> >said.
> >
> >"The benefit of having it would be that it is a find that would be
> >kept in Georgia. One of the things I'm concerned about is that a
> >European or Asian collector could acquire it and it would leave
> >the country altogether."
> >
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
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Received on Mon 05 Apr 2004 03:09:31 PM PDT