ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A meteorite that landed in Russia in the 1940s and was recently stolen from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque has been located.
KRQE-TV reports (http://bit.ly/zE9stH ) authorities found the rock after a man in Missouri bought it for $1,700. It’s worth between $20,000 to $40,000.
The Meteorite Museum at UNM flew an employee to retrieve the nearly 21-pound chunk of space — and lug it through security.
School police believe someone stole the meteorite from the display case and walked out the front door. Investigators have a suspect but no one has been arrested.
The meteorite was once part of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and crashed in Siberia. It was a gift from a Soviet scientist.
The Meteorite Museum is closed for a security review.
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Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com
