[meteorite-list] 1kg Meteorite Piece Found in Russian Urals

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:41:16 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201302251641.r1PGfGUH003991_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://rt.com/news/meteorite-rush-biggest-fragment-404/

1kg meteorite piece found in Russian Urals, biggest chunk yet discovered
rt.com
February 25, 2013

The fallen meteorite has turned into a cash cow in the Urals. Both
experts and amateurs are aggressively searching the area for remnants,
while entrepreneurs sell dozens of 'meteorite fragments' online, print
t-shirts, guide tours and bake cookies.

The biggest officially-confirmed fragment of the meteorite was found on
Monday by a local ski expedition.

"It weighs about a kilogram," Viktor Grokhovsky from the Urals
University says, "We haven't precisely weighed it yet, since it needs
to be conserved first so not to get acidified."

The number of fragments found by authorized meteorite specialists
amounts to a few hundred by now. Online 'meteorite' sales, though,
suggest there are hundreds more, only with no way of proving that any of
them are real.

Grokhovsky believes bunches more are still to be found, including a
possible biggest chunk that he says may lie at the bottom of Lake
Chebarkul. It could be up to 60cm in diameter, he assures.

[Screenshot from video, courtesy press-service Ural Federal University]

Scientists and divers promise to scrutinize every centimeter of Lake
Chebarkul. Teams are on the spot with all possible gear that could be
helpful in the search.

If you cannot find a meteorite, you can buy one. Numerous online
announcements offer meteorite fragments of smaller sizes on sale. Prices
differ from a few bucks to a few thousand. The most expensive offer is
placed at a Chinese online store at the price of 100,000 yuan (about
US$16,000).

Meteorite sellers assure their fragments are a real deal. They say the
extraterrestrial object will bring good luck and help treat depression.
If you can't afford a meteorite fragment, there are t-shirts with
'meteorite' imprints, and more related regalia likely to appear on sale
soon.

The meteorite may bring luck - and money - not just to the physical
owners of either fake or real things and their speculators, but also to
some serious businesses. A local confectionery company has applied to
license the brand names of 'Mystery Meteorite', 'Urals Meteorite' and
'Chebarkul Meteorite' planning to produce cookies and sweets.

Tourists can now get a guided tour to Lake Chebakul to see the layout of
the historic meteorite fall first hand. Local authorities hope the
now-famous lake will attract crowds of tourists into the region.

The local museum shares that hope. It has set up a display of photos and
videos of the dramatic meteorite crash, which includes both rare and
viral images.

The meteorite descended on Russia's Urals Region early on February 15.
The shock wave blew out hundreds of meters of window glass, injuring
nearly 1,500 people. Nobody was killed in the incident, a fact
considered a miracle by many, especially as scientists said the
meteorite explosion in the atmosphere was 30 times stronger than the
Hiroshima atomic bomb.

[Screenshot from video, courtesy press-service Ural Federal University]
Received on Mon 25 Feb 2013 11:41:16 AM PST