Meteorite fragments found in Russia's Urals region

[dipsydoodle]

2. Bounty sets off hunt for meteorite pieces

THE Russian city where the biggest meteorite to hit earth in more than 100 years crashed last week is facing a gold rush, with collectors offering more than $15,000 for a fragment of the rock.

A day after the fireball streaked across the sky and exploded with the force of an atomic bomb, residents in Chelyabinsk were out in force searching for pieces to sell. Potential buyers posted messages on the Russian internet calling on finders to come forward. One Russian buyer offered 500,000 roubles ($16,000) for a single fragment.

At a frozen reservoir outside the nearby town of Chebarkul, where the largest meteorite pieces are thought to have crashed, authorities stopped "meteorite hunters" searching around a 8m-wide crater punched in the ice by the impact.

"Off to look for pieces of meteorite! Who knows, maybe I'll strike gold!" a local resident called Sergei wrote online.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/bounty-sets-off-hunt-for-meteorite-pieces/story-fnb64oi6-1226579823065