CAN I OWN A METEORITE?
YES Private ownership of meteorites in the United States and most other countries is entirely legal. In the USA, meteorites found on Federal land belong to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and should be turned over to the appropriate authorities. Meteorites found on private land belong to the landowner or, in some cases, to the person or company owning the mineral rights to that land. The Meteorite Adventures team always obtains full permission from landowners before hunting on private property. We believe in ethical collecting, and full cooperation with our friends and colleagues in academia. We encourage you to do the same. Important new meteorite finds should always be made available to the scientific community for study.

CAN I BUY A METEORITE?
YES Steve and Geoff both offer a variety of quality meteorites for sale. Our sister site, Aerolite Meteorites, carries excellent meteorite specimens for collectors, enthusiasts, and institutions. They specialize in iron meteorites and are the official supplier of Steve Arnold Brenham, Kansas pallasites and siderites. Genuine Steve Arnold finds with a signed Certificate of Authenticity and full documentation are available. Aerolite also carries a selection of meteorite jewelry, collectibles, and meteorite-related gifts for all ages and levels of experience. Visit Aerolite.org: Meteorites for sale

There are some unscrupulous sellers in the business, and fakes and "meteorwrongs" are seen almost daily on eBay. If you are contemplating buying a meteorite specimen be sure to shop with a reputable dealer.

CAN I FIND A METEORITE OF MY OWN?
YES but meteorite hunting is hard work, time consuming, often expensive and can be dangerous if you are inexperienced. Meteorite hunters Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold once dreamed of finding meteorites of their own, and those dreams came true. With nearly thirty years of combined meteorite hunting experience they want to make your dreams come true as well. Consider joining Geoff and Steve on an authentic meteorite hunting adventure. It's the best chance of finding your own space rock.

Between them, Steve and Geoff have found hundreds of meteorites and meteorite-related impact materials at numerous sites including:

Alamo, NV
Brenham, KS
Canyon Diablo, AZ (please note, collecting is now prohibited at this site)
Franconia, AZ
Glorieta Mountain, NM
Gold Basin, AZ
Henbury, Australia
Holbrook, AZ
Imilac, Chile
Lake Murray, OK
Monturaqui, Chile
Mundrabilla, Australia
Muonionalusta, Sweden
Nevada dry lake beds
Odessa, TX
Oman (26 fall sites — 151 specimens)
Park Forest, IL
Pogigai Crater, Siberia
San Juan, Chile
Trenton, WI
Vaca Muerta, Chile

. . . and other secret locations

Steve currently holds the USA record for sheer meteorite tonnage personally found by a single hunter — in excess of three thousand pounds!

WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
The Meteorite Adventures team uses a wide variety of hunting equipment. Some of it, like hand-held detectors and global positioning systems (GPS) were purchased from retailers, but much of their equipment has been customized or specially designed by Steve Arnold. Hunting techniques and strategies, and proprietary equipment, are the result of many years of work and experimentation and the details are confidential. However, Geoff and Steve do share necessary knowledge with all registered Meteorite Adventures team members. If you want to find out how they do it, come along and see for yourself!

I WANT TO HUNT FOR METEORITES ON MY OWN, WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME?
We say: Good luck! Be prepared to spend long hours in the field. Do your research. Learn about meteorites and experiment with different techniques and equipment. We recommend Geoff's comprehensive book, Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space, which has a detailed overview of hunting equipment, as well as techniques, strategies, meteorite identification and more.

Steve and Geoff post regularly on the official Meteorite Men Facebook page. It's a great place to meet treasure hunters, share information, and learn about the field, as is Club Space Rock. With over 2,000 members it is the largest meteorite forum in the world, and is free!

WHAT EQUIPMENT SHOULD I USE?
Every meteorite hunter has his or her own favorite gear and preferred hunting methods. Portable metal detectors are readily available for purchase online and from treasure hunting stores. The Meteorite Men's detector of choice is the remarkable Fisher F75, which Geoff says is the best detector he has ever used.

The Fisher Gold Bug and Gold Bug 2 are two models popular with meteorite hunters, as are the White's Goldmaster Mk. II and Mk. III. Rock hammers and digging tools are easily found online and in retail stores. Rare earth magnets can be purchased from online specialty vendors. Large rare earth magnets are very powerful and can be dangerous. They can damage credit cards, computers, cell phones, PDAs, audio tapes, and other items affected by magnetic fields. They are so powerful you can easily get a finger stuck between a magnet and a car door, or shovel, and that hurts! Never carry one in your pocket or near your wallet. We recommend using great care when working with powerful magnets.

ARE METEORITES VALUABLE?
YES Meteorites are rarer, and more difficult to find than gold, platinum, diamonds, or even emeralds. They are the remnants of other worlds: long-vanished asteroids, planets, or possibly comets that have fallen to Earth. They are valued both by collectors and scientists. Most meteorites burn up in the atmosphere as meteors, or fall into oceans, ice caps, or dense forests, and are lost forever. Those few that survive, and are recovered, are genuine travelers from space and a link to the origins of the universe. Unless you happen to be an astronaut, owning a meteorite is the only way to touch the cosmos. A quality meteorite is an important and unique collectible. With proper care it will last many lifetimes, and inspire and amaze its owners down the generations.

CAN I GET A SUSPECTED METEORITE IDENTIFIED?
YES but the Meteorite Adventures team does not provide meteorite identification, valuation, or classification services. They prefer to be out in the field looking for more space rocks. There are a number of respected laboratories and institutions that will help you get a suspected meteorite identified. If you think you've found a meteorite, the Lunar & Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona is a good place to start.

IS THE METEORITE ADVENTURES TEAM AVAILABLE FOR LECTURES AND TV APPEARANCES?
YES when time permits. Steve and Geoff enjoy working with the media, institutions, and societies. In addition to starring in Meteorite Men, they have appeared in The Best Places to Find Cash & Treasures on the Travel Channel with host Becky Worley; in Wired Science on PBS with host Adam Rogers; in Discovery's Cosmic Collisions, in the magazines Wired, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Meteorite, Meteorite Hunting and Collecting Magazine, Seed, Meteoryt (Poland) and have made numerous other print, radio, TV, and lecture appearances. Serious media inquiries should please be sent by

If you would like to book Steve and Geoff for an in-person appearance, lecture and slide show, or other event please to discuss fees and availability or call our media office at (520) 742 3333.