A museum in Maine is hoping someone can find a meteorite that landed in the state April 8, and it is willing to pay someone $25,000 if they can bring it to them.
The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum said the first person to bring a 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) specimen from the event can claim the reward. Before the reward can be claimed, the museum said it would conduct testing on the rock to confirm it is from the April 8 event.
The museum said testing takes 5-10 days, and there is a cost associated with preparing the rock for testing. The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum added that specimens that have organic material are not from the April 8 event.
According to NASA, the meteorite fell around midday on April 8 near Calais, Maine. The agency said witnesses reported hearing loud booms in the area and seeing a bright fireball.
See the Lyrid meteor shower streak across the night sky
The annual Lyrid meteor shower begins April 15.
Radars detected an object consistent with a meteorite fall, NASA said.
NASA said radar data indicates meteorite masses of 1.59 grams to 322 grams (0.06 ounces to 11.4 ounces), but added that larger masses may have fallen. Winds also may have blown some of the fragments across the border into Canada, NASA said.
The museum said fragments could be located anywhere from Waite, Maine, to west of Canoose, New Brunswick. It added that those trying to find fragments will need permission from property owners before meteorite hunting.
NASA said it’s the first time a meteorite fall has been detected on radar in Maine.
NASA offers tips on its website to help find meteorites.
