"32 Million KRW per 1kg"... US Museum Offers Compensation for Meteorite Fragments

A museum in Maine, USA, has offered a large reward to obtain meteorite fragments that fell in a nearby city.

On the 16th (local time), foreign media such as abc7 and Fox Weather reported that a meteorite fell in Maine, in the eastern United States, on the 8th. Earlier, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that based on radar traces of the meteorite, fragments could be found near Maine.

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Upon hearing this news, Daryl Pitt, head of the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, announced that a reward of $25,000 (approximately 32.8 million KRW) would be paid for all meteorite fragments weighing more than 1 kg. He said, "The meteorite must weigh at least 1 kg, and it will have to go through a verification process to confirm it is a genuine meteorite," adding, "Meteorite fragments could provide valuable information about the 'origin of the solar system'." He continued, "Depending on the composition of the meteorite, it may be easier or harder to find. Metallic meteorites are easy to identify on site, but stony meteorites can be difficult for those unfamiliar with identification." Pitt expects an increase in visits from 'meteorite hunters' searching for meteorites in Maine. He explained, "The surface of the meteorite is likely blackened due to the high heat of Earth's atmosphere, and it also has magnetic properties, so it is highly likely to be detected by a magnet detector."

Meanwhile, a meteorite also fell in Maine seven years ago, in 2016. At that time, the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum also offered a large reward for meteorite fragments but failed to find any. Pitt expressed an optimistic outlook that the probability of discovery this time is relatively high because NASA has radar data detecting the meteorite.

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