Rocks To Riches

Each year, thousands of fragments of meteorites land on the surface of the earth. Most people who come across them might disregard them as just a dusty old rock. But others know exactly what they're looking for and their worth. For some, getting their hands on a meteorite is just a hobby but for others, an obsession and a booming business. With interest in meteorites ever expanding, we explore the global trade in this otherworldly material. With rare specimens often out of the price range of museums and institutions, they end up in the hands of private collectors-but what is the impact of that on the scientists trying to study them?

(Image: Meteorite, Credit: Elizabeth Zucolotto)