Well, it’s not just any rock
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2024 (Meteorite); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
At first sight, this rock might look like any other rock you could find at the park or the beach. But recently, someone bought it for a whopping $8,820.
Why would anyone shell out that much money? Because this rock isn’t from a park or a beach. It’s not even from our planet. It came from the dark depths of outer space. It’s a meteorite!
This rock might seem like any other rock you could find at the park or the beach. But recently, someone bought it for a whopping $8,820.
Why would anyone shell out that much money? Because this rock isn’t from a park. It’s not from a beach. It’s not even from our planet. It came from outer space. It’s a meteorite!
Rare Rocks
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Precious gems can be found inside meteorites.
Meteorites are hunks of rock that travel through space and fall to the surface of our planet. Some meteorites are small pieces of larger space rocks called asteroids. Others are rocks that broke off from the moon or the planet Mars.
Thousands of meteorites land on Earth each year, but finding one is extremely rare. Most are as small as pebbles and usually fall in the ocean. Plus, it’s hard for the average person to tell a meteorite from an Earth rock.
Over 40 years, scientist Alan Rubin has been sent about 10,000 rocks by people hoping they’d hit the jackpot with a meteorite. Only six were from space. And the rest? “We call them meteor-wrongs because they’re not meteor-rights,” Rubin says.
This is why some buyers expend so much for the few meteorites that are found.
Meteorites are hunks of rock that travel through space and fall onto our planet. Some meteorites are small pieces of larger space rocks called asteroids. Others are rocks that broke off from the moon or the planet Mars.
Thousands of meteorites land on Earth each year. But finding one is very rare. Most are as small as pebbles. And they usually fall in the ocean. Plus, it’s hard for most people to tell a meteorite from an Earth rock.
Over 40 years, scientist Alan Rubin has been sent about 10,000 rocks. The people who sent them hoped they had hit the jackpot with a meteorite. Only six were from space. And the rest? “We call them meteor-wrongs because they’re not meteor-rights,” Rubin says.
This is why some buyers expend so much for the few meteorites that are found.
Unique Stories
Meteorites can sell for exorbitant prices—hundreds of thousands of dollars! Why? Some contain gemstones often used in jewelry. Others help tell out-of-this-world stories. Take a meteorite that, in 2019, crashed through the roof of a doghouse and just missed the German shepherd inside. The rock sold for $21,420.
“If there’s a story attached to a meteorite, collectors will find it more interesting, and that will increase the price,” says Rubin.
This space rock also has a unique story. It’s a small piece of a larger meteorite that fell in South America about 4,000 years ago. People from ancient civilizations used iron from this meteorite—and others like it—to make tools and weapons.
That’s pretty cool. But is it cool enough to be worth the astronomical price?
Meteorites can sell for exorbitant prices—hundreds of thousands of dollars! Why? Some contain gemstones often used in jewelry. Others help tell out-of-this-world stories. For example, a meteorite in 2019 crashed through the roof of a doghouse. It just missed the German shepherd inside. The rock sold for $21,420.
“If there’s a story attached to a meteorite, collectors will find it more interesting. And that will increase the price,” says Rubin.
This space rock also has a special story. It’s a small piece of a larger meteorite that fell in South America about 4,000 years ago. People from long ago used iron from this meteorite—and others like it—to make tools and weapons.
That’s pretty cool. But is it cool enough to be worth the astronomical price?
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph to explain what meteorites are and why they are valuable.
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph to explain what meteorites are and why they are valuable.
This article was originally published in the May/June 2024 issue.
This article was originally published in the May/June 2024 issue.
