[meteorite-list] Moss Meteorite - The uncut story...

[Michael Mazur]

Against my better judgement, I feel that I should report on my knowledge 
of the laws in Norway. It is clear that meteorites found on property 
belong to the land owner (although this has never been tested). The land 
owner can, of course, give permission, in which case, the meteorites 
belong to the finder according to whatever deal they've made. Good for 
Mike and Morten. Meteorites on public property apparently belong to the 
finder although the state may be able to make a case in certain 
circumstances such as parks or 'crown' land. Again, this has never been 
tested and is unlikely to come about. This material does not currently 
fall under the category of cultural property however Elen Roaldset at 
UiO would like to make it that way. It seems that different people were 
given different stories by the same authorities.

As to 'whose piece was rained' on, I wouldn't let it affect your 
decision to buy or not to buy from a particular dealer. All of this 
material is beautifully fresh and I expect that most people will not 
notice the differences in oxidation unless they're really critical. If 
it's really crucial to the discussion one can (I don't have time or 
really care to) check the archived weather data for Moss to see when it 
did and didn't rain. In the end, find a piece that you like at the right 
price and buy it from someone you feel comfortable with.

Will more material be found? Quite possibly. I can't believe that the 
strewn field has been searched out at this point but I also wouldn't 
expect huge additional quantities to be recovered and make it to market. 
It is challenging to find anything there and most has been lost to water 
hazards. Locals may find more in their backyards but there is a very 
high chance that that material will go to an institution. Which, given 
the way that this material seems to be affecting people, is not a bad 
thing at all. The University of Oslo seems to be quite keen to learn 
what they need to do with this material scientifically. While I might 
not agree with their stance on new laws, I do admire the initiative that 
they're starting to show with regards to learning about what should be 
done with the material.

 I will also add that all of this discussion has made me decide to 
donate more material to an institution. I just haven't decided which one 
yet. I guess that's it for the new telescope ;-) . At least my wife will 
be happy.

Have fun,

Mike