Sunday, October 28, 2007

Meteorite for sale

A chunk of one of the most famous meteorites in the world - the size of small truck - goes under the hammer today in the US. The sale, at the auction house Bonhams in New York, is expected to fetch more than $1.4 million.

But a group of native Americans consider the meteorite a sacred icon.

Scientists believe the 15.5 tonne chunk of iron and nickle was the core of a planet that shattered in a stellar collision billions of years ago. It was found in the Williamette valley in Oregon in the United States over 100 years ago.

The local confederated tribes of the Grand Ronde considers the entire meteorite a sacred icon. The tribe group says it is saddened and dismayed by the sale, but a spokesman said it could not stop the auction and would not consider becoming a bidder.

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