Meet the meteorite hunters chasing space rocks that can fetch US$400 a gram
Meteorite hunters flocked to Georgia last week after a meteor disintegrated over the US state, but not everyone is in it for the money
It only took Ed Albin a few steps on June 29 to spot it as he wandered onto an empty construction site about 45 minutes southeast of Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.
“Oh my God,” he said, crouching down to take a look at his find. “Oh my God.”
Perched on the dirt, like it had just fallen from the sky, was not just any old rock. It was a chunk of the Georgia fireball that had blazed across the sky on June 26 and disintegrated 43km (27 miles) above West Forest, in Covington, on its way southeast.
In a floppy sun hat and pink shirt, Albin tested the meteorite with a rare earth magnet attached to a metal pole. It gave a faint hint of magnetic attraction, its nickel iron flecks pulling it toward the magnet – proof of its descent from outer space.
Another hunter, Sonny Clary, ran over to take a look.
“Millions of years flying in outer space,” he said in awe. “How cool is that?”