01-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Meet the meteorite hunters chasing space rocks that can fetch US$400 a gram
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.
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'Oh my God,' he said, crouching down to take a look at his find. 'Oh my God.'
Perched on the dirt, like it just fell 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.
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'Millions of years flying in outer space,' he said in awe. 'How cool is that?'
