[meteorite-list] MASSIVE fireball in Sweden this morning.

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:17:16 +0100
Message-ID: <002101c97966$b485c320$177f2a59_at_name86d88d87e2>

Hi Mike,

The second word of your introduction I second.

> Europeans, get to work on this!

Not worth looking for.

Denmark:

"under s.36b of the Museum Law Act (1989)finds are "geological objects of
unique scientific value" and must be delivered to a state museum. Under
s.36b(3) the museum pays the finder a fee based on the market value adjusted
for the speed and care taken by the finder and carrying out this obligation.
Greenland, as part of Denmark has a similar rule..."

(Schmitt et al. MAPS 37,2002).

The funds of the Copenhagen museum for meteorite acquisitions are since
years ZERO.
They even have no funds to curate their meteorites there lege artis.
Agpalilik - the recovery was the highlight in the annals of this
institution,
is kept open air in the court of the museum and suffered already heavy
damage by humidity.
In 50 years they haven't managed yet to built a little roof for a few
hundred bucks to protect this iron from rain.

Under these circumstances, a finder can't expect to be compensated in a
timely and adequate manner.

Btw. a market value can't be determined, because Danish meteorites can't be
traded because of this law. (There were some brains involved in making that
law.....)

(At least Denmark seems not to have added meteorites to their national
UNESCO cultural heritage lists.
Canada and Australia did so.
All specimens of Cape York in the institutional collections in Canada and
Australia, which don't have export papers, showing that they were once
allowed to be removed from the country of find Greenland,
have to be returned to the Danish state. Great that USA didn't make that
mistake, to see Peary's mountain of iron rusting next to Agpalilik in the
museum's court would break the hearts of all meteoriticists).

Btw. the interpretation of the UNESCO convention of 1970 like Australia and
Canada followed, is the exact opposite of that what the UNESCO working group
on meteorites, consisting of the curators of London, New York, Paris and
Budapest, and members of the UNESCO legal department recommended in their
premilary work for the convention, starting in 1964 (concealed by Schmitt et
al. in their article).


Under these circumstances, noone will search for a meteorite on Danish
territory.

Hopefully it felt in Sweden.

Best
Martin




-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Michael
Farmer
Gesendet: Sonntag, 18. Januar 2009 01:08
An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] MASSIVE fireball in Sweden this morning.

http://www.expressen.se/


HOLY SHIT!
I just got a panicked call from a friend of mine in Sweden that a massive
fireball was seen from near Kvarnby (near Malmo) and caught on camera at
~0800 this morning. It was toward the North Sea, likely impact in North Sea
or Denmark near Copenhagen. This could have fallen in Denmark/Sweden, or the
North Sea.
Everyone should see this fireball, every bit as large if not larger than the
Canada fireball.



More reports to come, Europeans, get to work on this!

Michael Farmer

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Received on Sun 18 Jan 2009 07:17:16 AM PST