It takes more than a rock hunter's hunch for the world to accept a rock as a meteorite. First, a scientist determines if it is a meteorite by examining its surface characteristics and mineral content, said Howard McLean, a meteorite hunter from Auburn, Ala. Then the meteorite has to have its name approved by the Meteoritical Society, an international scholarly organization that records all known meteorites. Read more
Billings resident finds Wyoming meteorite after 10-year hunt
Jon Todd was hiking up a steep, treeless hill in Northern Wyoming when his eyes locked on a rock in front of him. The dark rust-colored stone stuck out from others around it, and he immediately knew what it was. He had been on the hunt for a meteorite for 10 years and knew that, at last, he had found one. Read more