Michael Farmer and the Meteorite of Peru
Alan Boyle, of MSNBC's Cosmic Log, likened it to an Indiana Jones movie. Michael Farmer, himself, called it "Another day in the life of a meteorite hunter," but says he did stir up "a slight international incident." So, what was the fuss all about?
Image at Right: Meteorite hunter Michael Farmer kneels at the rim of a crater in Peru.
You may recall a story we told you about a couple of weeks ago that happened in Peru. It was being reported that a meteorite had crashed and hundreds of Peruvian villagers had become ill. (Sickness From Space) Farmer, who hunts, collects and sells meteorites, was in Spain when the event happened, and because of all the confusion in the reporting, at first discounted the possibility of an actual meteorite fall.
Later reports seemed to confirm the meteorite fall, while questioning the claims about illness. (Yes to the Meteorite; Questions About an Illness) Armed with this knowledge and his experiences with meteorites, Michael Farmer headed to Peru, hoping to help clear up some of the questions, and because, well, it's his business.
After visiting the local police, and buying some fragments, which seemed to be in almost everyone's pockets, Farmer was taken to the site. There, he spent a few days exploring the area and interacting with the locals. He purchased more samples from local farmers and spoke with their assembly about the best course of action in regards to the meteorite and crater.
Farmer, himself, believes there should be more scientific study of the meteorite and crater, but Peruvian scientists report being turned away by local guards. Possibly that is because scientists are notoriously poor and do not have the funds for generating good will as Farmer did.
Here is where the controversy begins. Victor Anaya, the Chief of Police in Desaguadero, Puno, Peru states that police did not permit Michael Farmer into the crater left by the meteorite because he only had a tourist pass and was therefore not authorized to take samples. Farmer says that some of the police became unhappy with the $100.00 they were being paid for pieces of rock, and from their rumblings he became concerned that if he did not pay more, he might find himself in the local jail.
Rather than take his chances with the Peruvian legal system (I can't say that I blame him, I saw "Midnight Express," as well), Farmer and his crew, grabbed another taxi to take him to a different border crossing, escaping back into Bolivia. "We were much happier being safe in Bolivia."
Which side of the story is accurate? That may or may not become clearer as a called-for investigation occurs. However, Peru certainly has its reasons for being cautious. As in other countries with exciting archeological locations, many artifacts have routinely been carted off by greedy entrepreneurs and collectors, primarily from the Machu Pichu ruins. Farmer, on the other hand, feels he was completely on the up-and-up, and in fact provided a valuable service to the locals.
As to questions about the authenticity of the meteorite and stories of illness, Farmer had his own thoughts. "It's probably the largest chondrite meteorite to have fallen," possibly as much as 10 tons. He also said that stories of odors coming from the crater were overblown, as were the numbers of ill villagers, which probably were closer to thirty than the hundreds often reported.
He speculates that the odor of sulfur, coupled with fright, sickened the first patients, and a touch of mass hysteria led to the rest.
As for the samples he purchased during his adventure, upon returning to his home in Tucson, AZ, Michael Farmer was already in the laboratory at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences building with Dr. Dolores Hill and Dr. Harold Connolly, donating samples of the Carancas meteorite for immediate analysis. He says the meteorite is already being distributed to labs all around the world. "I will ensure that as many scientists as possible can study specimens."
Of course, all of this, especially the guards keeping away scientists, will only serve to fuel conspiracy rumors. (See the comments to my earlier posts: Sickness From Space and Yes to the Meteorite; Questions About an Illness)
Image Credit:Michael Farmer