Uploaded on Jan 7, 2012
They don't believe in aliens or the time machine, but they do spend most of their time looking for extraterrestrial matter that will take them billions of years back in time. Most meteorite hunters in Russia do it for profit, but some still see it as their way of hitchhiking through the galaxy.
This valley, about 300 kilometers east of Moscow, is their latest pit stop. About ten thousand years ago, the local fields took a heavy pounding from a meteor shower, leaving the most fertile meteorite ground in Central Russia. Its discovery in 2000 was a pure accident.
Within the next few years, more than 500 kilograms of meteoric material was discovered here, some with the unlikely help of a Dalmatian. His owner says, he's the only dog in Russia trained to hunt for rocks from other planets.
Meteorite hunting is a lot like gold digging. You have to spend weeks in the wild hoping for a stroke of luck. But at current prices, searching for these extraterrestrial rocks may be even more profitable than the good old gold fever. Lunar or martian meteorites, which are in highest demand these days, are several times worth their weight in gold.
The biggest findings usually gravitate to the United States and western Europe where most meteorite collectors are based. And while Russia does allow export of extraterrestrial rocks, ten percent of their value must paid to the state. Still, some dealers try and dodge the meteorite tax.
A four ton meteorite haul was uncovered in early 2011 at a Moscow airport on its way, illegally, to the Czech