[meteorite-list] UA Scientist and Private Collector Form Center to Save Meteorites

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Feb 1 17:48:07 2006
Message-ID: <sud2u191f38pinhjtd9r3dq9eaib01rqc4_at_4ax.com>

On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 11:03:45 -0800 (PST), you wrote:

>Part of the problem is that meteorites are being collected at a record
>pace.

<snip>

>center's efforts. His collection is valued at about $5 million, weighs 3,328
>kilograms (about 7,340 pounds), and comes from about 900 locations in 37
>countries.

Yep, the supply of meteorites to science is severly damaged by the people who
buy small slices of them ("cutting them into small pieces for sale to bidders in
a flooded market") says the guy with 8 friggin tons in his private collection.

Being an atheist, it's kind of ironic for me to use this quote:

http://bible.cc/matthew/7-5.htm


I must say, though, it's sad to see all of those scientist buying up all of the
5 to 10 cent bulk amounts of unclassified meteorites before the mere collectors
can get to them. Oh, wait. They aren't. They are selling by the tons (or NOT
selling, even) to collectors because those distressed scientists are NOT buying
them. You know, all of those tons that would rot away in the deserts of Africa
if COLLECTORS didn't go there to get them?

And how, exactly, the the science being harmed by the meteorites being in
private hands for a while, since the labs are flooded to capacity and beyond
from the Antarctic and desert meteorites that they have now? Those meteorites
haven't ceased to exist, after all, and still could end up at the labs in the
future.

I think it's pretty funny that somone could be complaining about the size of
meteorite samples in the hands of researchers so soon after Stardust came back.
Because, of course, the scientists are so thrilled to have a comet sample that,
all added together, is probably around the size of a chondrule or two. And THAT
tiny sample is enough to send to many labs and keep people busy for years. So
imagine how much more can be made from just a few grams of a meteorite.
Received on Wed 01 Feb 2006 05:49:18 PM PST