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Hunting, collecting, buying and selling meteorites
are growing in poplurity. A scan of the web reveals
upwards of 100 web sites devoted to meteorites.
While not directly related to
space exploration, the growing market for meteorite
collection gives an indication of the possible value
of materials returned to earth from the moon, asteroids
and planets.
See, for example, the Lunar and
Martian meteorite materials for sale at the Meteorite
Market.
Selling extraterrestrial materials
in small quantities to the general public has been proposed
as a possible source of revenue for private
space ventures.
Remember that meteors are the
streaks in the night sky caused by bits of rock
and comet debris, most of which are burned up in the
atmosphere. Meteorites refer to the pieces that actually
make it intact to the ground.
There are many different kinds
of meteorites and they are classified according to their
composition. See MeteoriteMan's collection
of images of various types of meteorites and check
out his meteorite
glossary for explanations of meteorite names and
terms.
After the Mars meteorites were reported to contain
possible indications of ancient Martian bacterial life,
interest in meteorite collecting has exploded. The number
of meteorite sites on the web reflects this growth.
The Meteoroids
and Meteorites section at Views
of the Solar System has pictures of various types
of meteorites and other information about meteorites.
Meteorites
and Their Properties by David A. Kring of the Lunar
and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona
gives this extensive but very readable introduction
to meterorites.
HobbySpace only
lists a few links here for you to get started. For a
really enormous link list, see Meteorite
Exchange's Links .
Before buying particularly rare and expensive meteorites,
be sure to get some verification. See the advice at
Meteorite Identification
at Meteors.com. Also, check the prices for similar
meteorites at other dealers such as those listed below.
See the Future
Public Space: Space Rocks for a discussion
of how the meteorite market offers a model for a future
business built around selling lunar rock samples.
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The
Meteoritical Society
The Meteoritical Society is an
".. international, nonprofit organization devoted
to the study of extraterrestrial materials and history,
including asteroids, impact craters, interplanetary
dust, lunar samples, meteors, meteorites, tektites,
and the origin of the solar system. Our 925 members
from 32 countries include scientists specializing
in aspects of geology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy,
as well as amateurs interested in meteorites and impact
craters." - Meteroritical Society home website.
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Meteorite
Magazine
"The International Quarterly of METEORITES AND
METEORITE SCIENCE magazine. Publication featuring articles
related to meteors, meteorites, asteroids and comets,
the origins of space and life, as well as Morasko, The
Milton Pallasite, Permian-Triassic Extraterrestrial
Extinction, the Tunguska Mystery, Tucson Meteorite Show
2002, The Caperr Meteorite and The Taza Plessitic Octahedrite."
UA
Team Will Edit Popular Magazine About Meteorites - UA
News - Dec.20.05
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