“They destroyed life, for example the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. They tell us about the formation of planets. The vast majority are from asteroids from the beginning of solar system. “But those that are really meteorites are fascinating. “Millions of people think they’ve found a meteorite, but most are wrong,” she said. Russell said that, unfortunately and frustratingly, nearly all of those sent in for analysis are just rocks. Many of the prospective meteorites are sent to Sara Russell, a professor of cosmic mineralogy and planetary science at the Natural History Museum in London, which has one of the world’s largest collections with about 5,000 specimens. “They are something that appeals to everyone, you don’t have to any deep scientific background to understand them and let them spark your imagination. “People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are buying them,” she said. He added: “If you’re friends with him, it’s an obvious gift.”Ĭassandra Hatton, who oversees space auctions for rival auction house Sotheby’s, said meteorites have experienced a jump in popularity with younger buyers who are collecting because they find it “super-cool to have something from space”. Hyslop said he was “sure he has meteorites in his collection, but I wouldn’t like to say that with any authority”. Other collectors are said to include: film director Steven Spielberg Nicolas Cage, who starred in Color Out of Space, a 2019 film about a meteorite that brings alien life to small-town Massachusetts illusionist Uri Geller and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma.Įlon Musk, the world’s richest person and chief executive of electric carmaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, is also said to be a big collector. Photograph: Landmark Media/Alamy Stock Photo Nicolas Cage in Color Out of Space, a film about a farm that is struck by a strange meteorite.
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