The iron rock’s journey from the depths of space ended with a bang in a dense pine forest about an hour north of Stockholm around 10 a.m. on a November night 4 years ago.
Remarkably, its trajectory was captured by several cameras within the region used to trace meteoroids. This led to a week-long hunt and an excellent longer court battle over an unusual query: who owns the otherworldly object that falls to Earth?
The legal case took a unique turn Thursday when an appeals court ruled in favor of the landowner, overturning a choice on the side of the 2 men who recovered the meteorite.
A few days after the rock fell, geologist Anders Zetterqvist discovered the spot where the rock first hit the bottom. After several weeks of searching, his friend Andreas Forsberg, one other geologist, found a 30-pound piece protruding of the moss where it had ricocheted, about 70 yards away.
“It was the discovery of a lifetime for me,” he said. “It was so spectacular. And know that it’s only been a few weeks.
Most meteoroids entering the Earth’s atmosphere burn up upon entry, leaving only a trail of light in the sky, called a meteor. The iron meteorite north of Stockholm was the 10th fresh-fall iron meteorite – newly landed, rather than older and buried in the ground – to be found in Sweden and one of only a few fresh-fall iron meteorites discovered in the world, Mr. Forsberg said.
After a few weeks, the men took the rock to the Swedish Museum of Natural History, where it has been located since 2020.
“We were afraid that hundreds of people would come from all over the world to look for more,” Mr. Forsberg added. “The better and bigger pieces could have left the country before we knew it.”
Dan Holtstam, a senior research fellow within the museum’s geosciences department, said: “This is a textbook example of an iron meteorite.”
“Iron meteorite falls are rare around the world – this is the only observed iron meteorite fall in Sweden,” Dr Holtstam added. “In almost 40 years of working in Earth sciences, this was the first time I laid my hands on a freshly fallen meteorite.”
In addition to their scientific value, meteorites are valued by collectors. Dr. Holtstam says such a bit can fetch tens of hundreds of dollars on the worldwide private collectors’ market.
About every week after geologists made their find public, the owner of the property where the meteorite was found, Johan Benzelstierna von Engestrom, sent a letter to the museum claiming he owned the meteorite.
The legal battle began.
Regulations governing the ownership of found meteorites vary by country. There are none in any respect in Sweden. In France and Morocco, on the opposite hand, “whoever lays hands on it first becomes the owner,” Dr. Holtstam said. In Denmark they’re state property.
In December 2022 The Uppsala District Court ruled in favor of the geologists, considering the meteorite to be a movable item. “A freshly fallen meteorite is not part of the property on which it fell,” the judge wrote in a press release.
The landowner filed an appeal. On Thursday, o the Stockholm Court of Appeal ruled in his favor.
Justice Robert Green, one among 4 judges within the case, said the appeal court’s ruling rests on two issues: whether meteorites will be considered “real estate” and the scope of Swedish common law, generally known as “Right of public access” which provides the proper of public access.
The rules on real estate – houses and land – are clear, the judge said.
“The starting point for real estate is that the landowner has the right to it,” he said in an interview Friday. “But we don’t have a specific law on meteorites, which makes this case unique.”
All rats entitles every resident of Sweden to explore nature, including climbing, cycling or camping, even on private property.
“This includes some right to take berries and even small stones from someone else’s property,” Justice Green said.
The plaintiffs argued that the right to collect small items may apply to amber and more valuable items. However, Judge Green said in the ruling: “We have made the judgment that it can be prudent to think about meteorites or space rocks to be a part of the property, identical to other stones, though one might intuitively feel that the meteorite is alien to us.” Earth.”
One judge disagreed, arguing that while the meteorite ought to be considered real property, common law also applied on this case and ought to be interpreted as including the proper to remove the meteorite from private property.
“Allemansratt has far-reaching implications for everyone, so it was interesting and important for us to try it out,” Judge Green said.
Benzelstierna von Engestrom praised the ruling, saying in an interview: “I want to keep it as my property, but give it to the Swedish museum on permanent loan.”
He didn’t specify which museum, but said he wanted it to serve the general public.
The geologists haven’t decided whether to appeal to the Swedish Supreme Court.
Mr. Forsberg said he was dissatisfied with the appeal decision.
“It’s very sad for me and my friend,” he said. “I have had a passion for collecting rocks and fossils all my life.” He added: “This is sad for all enthusiasts interested in discovering new meteorites. If people don’t think they’ll get a reward, how do we encourage them to seek it out?”
