LAPAN's Answer To The Fantastic Price Of Josua's Meteorite

Josua's meteorite (facebook @Josuahutagalung)

JAKARTA - The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) has spoken about the viral meteorite which is selling at a fantastic price. Where did the mateor chunk belong to a resident named Josua Hutagalung.

According to a researcher at the LAPAN Space Science Center, Rhorom Priyatikanto, if the meteor stone transaction is related to the collector, the price that can be offered from the space object will be expensive. Especially if the viral meteor chunk indicates a rare material in the world of science.

"I heard that there is a role for collectors there. So if you have collected, there are various factors. If you look at the news that I read at a glance, it is a Carbonaceous Chondrite type meteor. This means that there are a lot of rock minerals there, the metal minerals are slightly lower, so if you look at the precious metal content, it is almost nil, "said Rhorom when contacted by VOI, Thursday, November 19.

It is known that the space rock, aka a meteor weighing 2.2 kg, which hit Josua's house in Kolang, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, had been sold to a meteorite expert named Jared Colins. Where he sold the 1,800 gram meteor pieces for Rp200 million.

But who would have thought, foreign media such as The Sun said that the meteorite could be priced at 757 Pounds Sterling or the equivalent of Rp.14.1 million (at an exchange rate of Rp.14,000) per gram on eBay buying and selling sites. This means that Joshua's stone is equivalent to IDR 26 billion.

As explained by Rhorom, the value of space objects would indeed be expensive if they were purchased or examined by knowledgeable experts and collectors. But it's a different story if the stone isn't further investigated.

"If we just find it on the street and sell it, it will not sell well. Unless we actually meet collectors who might see it from another side," he added.

According to LAPAN's records, Carbonaceous Chondrite or CM1 / 2 is a meteorite variety that is quite rare and primitive. According to scientists, the meteor is believed to contain unique amino acids and other ancient elements that may answer the origin of life, some 4.5 billion years ago.

"So the scientific value is higher than the material value. But again those who can see it are experts who have struggled with meteors for decades," said Rhorom.