Defending a Meteorite in Court?
Forsberg and Zetterqvist with their meteorite find. (source: The Times)
Post Author - Ellis Nolan
Believe it or not, rocks falling from the sky are serious legal business.
In March of 2024, a Swedish court of appeals ruled that meteorites are the property of the people who own the land they happen to fall on. The court’s reasoning was that since meteorites are mostly made of iron, an element found on Earth, they are considered “immovable” property, and thus, are considered part of the land itself.
The story behind this case begins in November of 2020, when a meteorite landed in Uppland, Sweden, and was found by two geologists, Andreas Forsberg and Anders Zetterqvist. Forsberg and Zetterqvist donated the meteorite to the Swedish Museum of Natural History. However, in 2022, Johan Benzelstierna von Engeström, the owner of the land on which the meteorite fell, appealed the district court’s decision that the meteorite was the property of the finders. Arguing that it was “immovable” property was enough to convince the appeals judge to reverse the lower court’s decision.
The Muonionalusta meteorite and its distinct Widmanstätten patterns
Here at Mini Museum, we definitely don’t claim to be lawyers, but we do know a thing or two about meteorites! While the cores of most meteorites are made of iron and small amounts of zinc, which are both found on Earth, meteorites contain something that isn’t found anywhere on Earth: Widmanstätten patterns. Since the iron and zinc in the cores of meteorites have been cooling for billions of years, longer than the Earth has existed, they form angular lattices unlike any Earthbound material.
These patterns actually help scientists determine what is a meteorite and what isn’t, since they are virtually impossible to forge. It’s hard to say whether including information on these unique patterns would have helped the geologists’ case, but it is another example of why meteorites are so fascinating.
Want a meteorite that you won’t have to hire a lawyer to keep? Check out our collection of meteorite specimens here!
Featured Product
Salyut 7 Space Station
Latest News
-
Jul 17, 2025 Building Disneyland Read More -
Jul 10, 2025 Neolithic Vegetarians: Learn About the Wooden Tools Used by Early Humans! Read More -
Jul 04, 2025 Viking for a Day: Researchers Recreate Viking Voyages! Read More -
Jun 30, 2025 When the Sky Split in Two: The Tunguska Event Read More -
Jun 27, 2025 The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Releases its First Photos! Read More -
Jun 19, 2025 Snakestones, Shaligrams, Ammonites, Oh My! All About Ammonites Read More
Cool Things!
Neolithic Vegetarians: Learn About the Wooden Tools Used by Early Humans!
When you think of the Stone Age, scenes of Neanderthals chasing down great beasts of old for food and furs might come to mind. Many studies have shown the invention and development of stone tools were essential to early humans’ efforts to hunt animals, but according to a recent study, that perspective may have an overbearing presence in the perception of the Stone Age.
Viking for a Day: Researchers Recreate Viking Voyages!
For one student at Lund University in Sweden, reading studies and collecting archaeological evidence wasn’t enough to grasp the full picture of an awe-inspiring people of the Nordic region: The Vikings. In a new study, a team of researchers set out to learn more about these nomads of legend by setting off on their own voyage of the seas, complete with historically accurate ships!
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Releases its First Photos!
The dazzling images in this article are some of the first to be released by scientists using equipment at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the Elqui Province of Chile. However, these images represent just the tip of the iceberg for the new facility.
Specimen Deep Dives
Building Disneyland
When the Sky Split in Two: The Tunguska Event
Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!