Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg)
chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million
by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on
July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing
on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of
the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring 375
x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms (54 >pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's the
real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the
chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg)
chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million
by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing
on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of
the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >>detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring
375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms
(54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's >>the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the >>chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:11:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg) >>>chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million >>>by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>>July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian >>>surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140 >>>million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing >>>on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of >>>the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >>>detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been >>>powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring
375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms
(54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's >>>the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the >>>chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
In message <106fk46$2nhr4$6@dont-email.me>, at 11:30:14 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:11:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg)
chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million >>>> by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>>> July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing >>>> on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of >>>> the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as
detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring
375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms >>>> (54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's >>>> the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the
chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
If it lands on a car (Barwell, 1965), and that's written off, maybe
belongs to the insurance company? Although in that case the insurance
company said it was "an Act of God" and refused to pay.
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
On 31/07/2025 13:40, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fk46$2nhr4$6@dont-email.me>, at 11:30:14 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:11:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul >>>> 2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg) >>>>> chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million >>>>> by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>>>> July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing >>>>> on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of >>>>> the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >>>>> detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring >>>>> 375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms >>>>> (54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's >>>>> the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the >>>>> chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
If it lands on a car (Barwell, 1965), and that's written off, maybe
belongs to the insurance company? Although in that case the insurance
company said it was "an Act of God" and refused to pay.
Do you think that the insurance company might have had a different point
of view if it had been worth $5.3 million?
On 31/07/2025 13:40, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fk46$2nhr4$6@dont-email.me>, at 11:30:14 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:11:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:If it lands on a car (Barwell, 1965), and that's written off, maybe
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul >>>> 2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg) >>>>> chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million >>>>> by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>>>> July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing >>>>> on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of >>>>> the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >>>>> detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring >>>>> 375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms >>>>> (54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's >>>>> the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the >>>>> chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
belongs to the insurance company? Although in that case the insurance
company said it was "an Act of God" and refused to pay.
Do you think that the insurance company might have had a different
point of view if it had been worth $5.3 million?
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg)
chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million
by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on
July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing
on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of
the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as >detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring 375
x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms (54 >pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure it's the
real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the
chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
)
They have a good contrual case for owning the broken car. I am unsure if that also applies to the meteorite. The moral seems to be that if your car is hit by a meteorite you should immediately retrieve the latter and take it home.
In message <106fk46$2nhr4$6@dont-email.me>, at 11:30:14 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:11:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <106fe1i$2nhr4$4@dont-email.me>, at 09:46:26 on Thu, 31 Jul
2025, Jethro_uk <jethro_uk@hotmailbin.com> remarked:
Who owns a meteorite that falls on their property in the UK ?
(Question prompted by :
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/mars_rock_auction/
The largest chunk of Mars yet discovered on Earth, a 54-pound (25kg)
chunk of the Red Planet, has been purchased at auction for $5.3 million >>>> by an unknown bidder.
The meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, was discovered in the Sahara Desert on >>>> July 16, 2023, and is thought to have been blasted off the Martian
surface by an impact from another meteorite. It then travelled 140
million miles before partially burning up in our atmosphere and landing >>>> on the ground - a lucky shot for us humans, given around 70 percent of >>>> the Earth's surface is water.
It's thought that only the largest 19 space rock strikes on Mars, as
detectible through the size of the impact craters, would have been
powerful enough to send the sample back to Earth. The rock, measuring
375 x 279 x 152 mm (14¾ x 11 x 6 inches) and weighing 24.67 kilograms >>>> (54 pounds), was checked by boffins in China and Italy to make sure
it's
the real deal, using data collected by the Viking Mars landers on the
chemical composition of the planet's rocks.
contd...
Someone owned that bit of the Sahara Desert?
I have no idea. I was asking for a UK perspective.
If it lands on a car (Barwell, 1965), and that's written off, maybe
belongs to the insurance company? Although in that case the insurance
company said it was "an Act of God" and refused to pay.
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