The collection of meteorites of the Vatican Observatory numbers 1,100 items. This week, the organizers are organizing a conference dedicated to their study.
Meteorites are the main exhibits of many museum collections of natural history. However, international conferences on the care of space rock care have never been held before. Everything will change this week in the suburbs of Rome at the base of the Vatican Observatory. Three dozens of experts on meteorites from around the world will gather there to exchange experiences and the best examples of collections.
The Vatican has been collecting samples of meteorites for more than a century, thanks to which it was possible to save 1,100 copies (150 kg). This week's conference is being organized to discuss the possibilities and technology of drilling meteorites. We are talking about legal issues related to the collection of rocks, storage and exchange of information about samples. Also, experts will share the nuances of best practices for self-study and collection organization. In addition, 29 collection owners from around the world will have the opportunity to share the details of their own research. These include objects from the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Natural History in London and Hassan II University in Casablanca. There are also rocks from the repository, where the rocks are hidden from the Japanese mission Hayabusa.
