Cheolseok's journey from deep space ended with a thud four years ago in November, around 10 p.m., in a dense pine forest about an hour north of Stockholm.
Unusually, its trajectory was captured by several cameras in the area that are used to track meteoroids. This led to a week-long search and an even longer legal battle over the unusual question: Who owns the supernatural object that fell to Earth?
The legal case took another turn Thursday when an appeals court ruled in favor of the landowners, overturning a decision that had sided with the two men who recovered the meteorite.
A few days after the rock fell, geologist Anders Zetterqvist discovered the spot where the rock first hit the ground. After several weeks of searching, his friend Andreas Forsberg, a fellow geologist, discovered the 30-pound chunk sticking out of the moss about 230 feet away.
“It was the discovery of a lifetime for me,” he said. “It was absolutely fantastic. And then I found out it was only a few weeks.”
Most meteoroids that reach Earth's atmosphere burn up upon entry, leaving only a trail of light in the sky called a meteor. So-called freshly fallen meteorites are compared to older meteorites found buried in the ground. The Stockholm North meteorite, made of iron, is the 10th fresh-falling iron meteorite discovered in Sweden and one of the few fresh-falling iron meteorites discovered in the world, Forsberg said.
A few weeks later, the men took the rock to the Swedish Museum of Natural History, where it has been stored since 2020.
“We were afraid that hundreds of people would show up from all over to search for more,” Forsberg added. “Better and bigger works could be leaving the country before we know it.”
“It’s a textbook example of an iron meteorite,” said Dan Holstam, a senior researcher in the museum’s Earth Sciences Department.
“Iron meteorite falls are rare worldwide. This is the only time an iron meteorite has been observed to fall in Sweden,” added Dr. Holtstam. “This was the first time in almost 40 years in the field of geoscience that I had laid my hands on a newly fallen meteorite.”
In addition to their scientific value, meteorites are highly prized by collectors. In the global private collector market, a collection like this could fetch tens of thousands of dollars, Dr. Holstam said.
About a week after geologists publicized their discovery, Johan Benzelstierna von Engestrom, the owner of the site where the meteorite was found, sent a letter to the museum claiming ownership.
A legal battle ensued.
Laws regulating ownership of discovered meteorites vary from country to country. There are no such people in Sweden. In France and Morocco, on the other hand, “whoever touches it first gets ownership,” Dr. Holtstam said. In Denmark it is the property of the state. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management explains the rules for meteorites that fall on public lands.
In December 2022, the Uppsala District Court ruled in favor of geologists, deeming meteorites to be personal property. “A newly fallen meteorite is not part of the land on which it fell,” the judge wrote in a statement.
Ms. Benzelstierna von Engestrom appealed. On Thursday, the Stockholm Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the landowners.
Justice Robert Green, one of four judges in the case, said the appeal court's ruling hinged on two questions: whether meteorites can be considered “real” property and the scope of Swedish common law, known as “Allemansrätten” . public access
The law governing real estate, including homes and land, is clear, the judge said.
“The starting point with real estate is that the landowner has rights to it,” he said in an interview Friday. “But this case was special because there are no specific laws regarding meteorites.”
Allemansratten gives everyone in Sweden the right to move around in nature, including hiking, biking and camping, even on private property.
“This includes the right to take berries and even small stones from other people’s property,” Justice Green said.
The plaintiffs argued that the right to pick up small objects could include amber and more valuable items, but the judge ruled that the meteorite should be considered part of the Earth because it was not made of materials foreign to the Earth. . So they decided it was real estate.
One judge objected, arguing that while the meteorite should be considered real property, common law also applies in this case and should be interpreted to include the right to remove the meteorite from private property.
“Allemansratt has far-reaching implications for everyone, so it was interesting and important to try it,” Judge Green said.
Landowner Benzelstierna von Engestrom praised the ruling, saying in an interview, “I want to maintain ownership but permanently loan it to the Swedish Museum.”
He did not specify which museum, but said he hoped it would benefit the public.
The geologists have not yet decided whether to appeal to the Swedish Supreme Court.
Mr Forsberg said he was disappointed with the appeal decision.
“It’s very sad for me and my friend,” he said. “I have had a lifelong passion for collecting rocks and fossils.” “It’s sad for all enthusiasts interested in finding new meteorites,” he said. “How can you get people to search if they don’t think they’ll be rewarded?”