Celestial Verdict: Swedish Court Decides Fate of Fallen Meteorite
The Unearthly Discovery in a Swedish Forest
The iron rock’s journey from the depths of space ended with a thud in a dense pine forest, about an hour north of Stockholm, around 10 on a November night four years ago. Unusually, its trajectory was caught on several cameras in the region used to track meteoroids. That led to a weekslong hunt and an even longer court battle over an unusual question: Who owns an unearthly object that falls to Earth?
Days after the rock landed, Anders Zetterqvist, a geologist, found the site where it first hit the ground. After several weeks of searching, his friend, Andreas Forsberg, a fellow geologist, found the 30-pound chunk sticking out of the moss where it had ricocheted, about 230 feet away. “It was the find of a lifetime for me,” he said.
The Legal Battle Over Space Bounty
The legal case took another turn on Thursday, when an appeals court ruled in favor of the landowner, overturning a decision that had sided with the two men who had recovered the meteorite. A week after the geologists went public with their find, the owner of the estate where the meteorite had been found, Johan Benzelstierna von Engestrom, sent a letter to the museum claiming ownership.
On Thursday, the appeals court in Stockholm ruled in favor of him. Judge Robert Green said the appeals court’s ruling turned on two questions: whether meteorites could be considered “immovable” property and the extent of a Swedish customary law, known as “Allemansratten,” that provides the right of public access. “The point of departure regarding immovable property is that the landowner has the right to it,” he said.
Implications for Meteorite Hunters and Landowners
A land owner has won a legal battle to keep a 14-kilogram (31-pound) meteorite when an appeals court ruled that such rocks should be considered “immovable property” and part of the land where they are found. This ruling has profound implications for meteorite hunters, collectors, and landowners, raising questions about the future of meteorite discovery and ownership in Sweden and potentially beyond. Forsberg was disappointed. “It’s sad for all enthusiasts. If people don’t think they’ll get a reward, how are we going to get people out searching?” he pondered.
The finders also had claimed there was an agreement allowing them to take the meteorite. However, the appeals court said there was no evidence of such a deal. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the geologists would appeal to Sweden’s Supreme Court, leaving the community to wonder about the final chapter in the saga of the iron meteorite’s earthly journey.