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(meteorobs) The Vitim update
Dear All,
As illustration to my previous post, here is info I just found in Russian
top TV-channel internet site, which I translated with
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr
======================
http://www.1tv.ru/owa/win/ort6_main.main?p_news_title_id=57541&p_news_razdel
_id=8
The north of Irkutsk region enveloped the new form of search fever
The north of Irkutsk region envelopped the new form of the search fever
Hunters after the success hope to become rich not on the gold mines - they
search for more expensive material - fragments Of the vitimskogo meteorite,
which last fall fell in the taiga town Bodaybo. Trade in meteorites became
in recent years the very extended business, which brings solid incomes to
salesmen and enormous damage to science - in the last 20 years into the
collection of the academy of sciences from the population it entered not one
meteorite. To stir in the meteoritic business in its time assisted output to
the screens of film "armageddon" - about the threat for the Earth from the
side of asteroids. Space cobblestones of steel by the extremely advantageous
method of the investment of money. They did leave far behind gold? the total
weight of all discovered meteorites does not suffice even to the total
weight of the world annual output of yellow metal. Meteorites now can be
acquired at the auctions, through the Internet and even in the antiquarian
stores. Representative of the auction: "one gram of meteorite can cost from
1 to 1000 dollars, and price only grows in the course of time. Only yr or
two can indicate in certain cases a triple increase in the cost of meteorite
". Furthermore, chases people into the taiga and the kept balance popular
belief, that the piece of meteorite can become almost panacea from all
illnesses. Sorcerers, jewelers and astrologers are ready to lay out for the
rare goods sizable sums. But the miraculous property of meteorites does not
have scientific confirmation. In Russia the majority of meteorites,
including unique models, "swim away" for the boundary. The collection of the
Russian academy of sciences, one of the old in the world, counts less than
800 meteorites. For the comparison - in the Japanese approximately 9 and
one-half thousands of meteorites, in THE USA? more than 10 thousands. For
the latter several decades in the territory of Russia were noted drops in
the approximately one-and-a-half hundred meteorites. Today they all count
"in the search". Regardless of the fact, they will find Vitimskiy meteorite
and will how much cost its fragments, it already became priceless gift for
the inhabitants Bodaybo, where they today celebrate the 100- anniversary of
settling.
======
I think that consequences of such article could be harmful and even
dangerous for research groups in the area, as it will apparently result in
negative and hostile attitude to them of local gold-diggers, which are real
"hosts/masters" in taiga...
Best wishes,
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