[meteorite-list] Rare California Meteorite to be Divided Among 5 U.S. Institutions

[Galactic Stone & Ironworks]

Hi List,

I think it is interesting to note one little nugget of information
that is buried in this article -

"...The meteorite's main mass was owned by a private collector Robert
Haag, who later contacted Meenakshi Wadhwa from the Arizona State
University..."

The main mass was purchased and responsibly curated by a private
individual.  Apparently at his own expense, Mr. Haag bought the mass
and then contacted the institutions about putting it into the research
system.  Also, apparently, Mr. Haag's curation of the mass was good
enough for the mass to be considered "preserved" for scientific
purposes.

As every dealer on this List knows, the original (pre-Haag) asking
price for that SM mass was astronomical and no single institution
would be able to acquire it.  Without Mr. Haag's intervention, it is
possible that this mass would not have been preserved or available to
science.  It may have languished inside a safety deposit box
somewhere, or it may have been sliced up like a loaf of bread.  We'll
never know.

For those who are quick to criticize private interests in meteoritics,
here is another example of private involvement benefiting everbody.
:)

Best regards,

MikeG

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On 8/22/13, Tom Randall <tommy2005 at hvc.rr.com> wrote:
> http://bit.ly/16zKbTL
>
> Regards!
>
> Tom
>
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