A meteorite sighting in Maine last week has sparked excitement among space enthusiasts, as anyone who finds a piece of it can earn a reward of $25,000 from a museum in the state. The meteorite was visible for more than four minutes, starting from approximately 11:57 am ET on April 8, and created a bright, intense fireball that could be seen in broad daylight.
NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Lab detected the meteorite on radar and narrowed down the area where its debris might have fallen to near Calais, Maine, where its remains could provide insights into the solar system.
However, finding the meteorite is not an easy task, as the woods of Maine are not the simplest of environments. The museum’s head of the meteorite division, Darryl Pitt, said that the highest award of $25,000 will be given to the person who can find a specimen that is at least 2.2 pounds, or one kilogram, in weight.
The remains of the meteorite will look different from a regular rock, with blackened outer appearance due to the heat it endured while falling through Earth’s atmosphere. It will also have a different appearance from the inside and will attract magnets due to its iron content.
This is not the first time that the museum has offered a reward for finding a meteorite. In 2016, a similar incident occurred, but no one was able to find anything. Despite this, Pitt is hopeful that this time, someone will find the meteorite due to detailed information available from radar.
The search for the meteorite presents an exciting opportunity for space enthusiasts and may prove to be a rewarding experience for anyone who can successfully locate a piece of it.
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