California's New "Gold Rush"

Meteor Hunters Strike Pay Dirt:

A different kind of rush hits California's Gold Country after the recent shower of rocks from space, which scientists crave and can fetch $1,000 a gram.

COLOMA-LOTUS VALLEY, Calif — In the week since a fireball shot across the sky and exploded, scattering a rare type of meteorite over California's Gold Country, these hills have drawn a new rush of treasure seekers.

Once again there are lively saloons, fortune hunters jockeying for prime spots and astounding tales of luck — including that of Brenda Salveson, a local who found a valuable space rock while walking her dog Sheldon, named after the theoretical physicist on the TV show "The Big Bang Theory."

On April 22nd, 2012 - Earth Day - "with a blazing streak across the morning sky and a sonic boom" carbonaceous chondrite, meteorites containing water and carbon fell from the heavens:

EARTH DAY is a day to celebrate all the gifts that are given to us by this wonderful planet. It is also a day (even though we should be doing it everyday) where we try and make people aware of the consequences for our lack of respect to the things that this planet gives us

An extremely rare gift from the heavens above....

In the Gold Rush town of Rescue (elevation and population both 1,400), Salveson, a wife and mother of two, read a local news article about the meteorites. The area scattered with them, about three miles wide and 10 miles long, included Henningsen Lotus Park, where she walks her dog every morning. She noted what to look for: a rock that seemed out of place — different from anything around it. It would be dark and delicate.

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Before going to the bank, Salveson made one stop: Rescue Elementary School. She had her children — Linnea, 10, and Tommy, 6 — and their classmates put their hands behind their backs. She pulled back the foil just a little and told them to look at perhaps the oldest thing anyone has ever seen.

www.latimes.com...

This meteorite, known as the Sutter's Mill Meteorite may replace the Murchison Metorite as the most studied meteorite.

"We want to learn about this asteroid," said Peter Jenniskens, an astronomer and senior research scientist at the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and the NASA Lunar Science Institute. "This is scientific gold."

www.latimes.com...

Well when the sky is falling there is only one thing you can do that is better than running around like you're a chicken without a head: try to catch it.

Yep, super-interesting. take a 20 minute stroll and find a $1,000 a gram rock.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Wow, I am clueless I lived in Coloma until October this last year. I am still just a few miles away. Give me some money honey!