Goodrich resident Larry Atkins is an explorer.
And while the 44-year-old Navy veteran and local entrepreneur’s adventures include a simple metal detector and maps of remote areas of the southwestern United States, his quest to seek out new frontiers has remained unquenchable for more than a decade.
Atkins is a meteorite hunter’seeking solid masses from outer space that have fallen to the Earth’s surface. Then painstakingly, rock-by-rock, he probes his findings, reporting clues to new worlds and facets of Earth once unknown.
Atkins started his search for meteorites in 1996 after reading an article in Smithsonian Magazine written by famed ‘Meteorite Man? Robert Haag.
‘There was a picture of Haag with a big meteorite,? said Atkins. ‘It’s now been 14 years since I started hunting, and I continue to search them.?
It took three years before Atkins found his first meteorite.
In 1999, while searching Gold Basin Area of Mohave County, Arizona, he made his first discovery.
‘I’ve found more than 150 since then,? he said. ‘Every year I travel to Arizona for a week or so to search. Truth is, meteorites can be found anywhere, even Michigan. But the environment in Michigan is too hostile’rain, snow and humidity cause the meteorites to oxidize or rust’they simply deteriorate. We also have a lot of vegetation that covers the ground where meteorites are’it’s real tough to find them here, but it can happen.?
Atkins said there have been nine areas of Michigan where meteorites have been found, including near Allegan County, Coleman, Grand Rapids, Reed City and the village of Worden in Washtenaw County.
‘It’s very rare to find a meteorite in Michigan but you could,? he said. ‘They do fall all over the world.?
Atkins said three primary methods are used to determine the location of meteorites, including chasing a fireball seen on a news report, exploring known strewn fields where a landing is confirmed or just roaming the countryside in hopes of a cold find.
‘Exploring a strewn field has been the most productive to me because humans witnessed the fall,? he said.
Such was the case for Atkins near Holbrook in central Arizona, where in 1912 a large stone arrived late in the night of July 19. The strewn field covered six miles in the remote area. In 2007, Atkins recovered a 980 gram (about 2 pounds) meteorite, one of the largest found in 40 years from the Holbrook field.
‘The stone came from an asteroid belt near Mars and Jupiter,? he said. ‘In the first few weeks after the meteorite fell, several 10 pounders were picked up. It came to Earth as a fireball, six times the speed of a bullet, and exploded. The fact that back in 1912 the meteorite was documented makes it more valuable.?
Atkins also owns, through a trade, a lunar meteorite, a stone found on Earth that was ejected from the moon, as well as a Mars meteorite, a fragment of the ‘Red Planet.?
‘Both are very rare, and while I have never found such meteorites, they are out there.?
While locating meteorites has taken Atkins on some unique enjoyable outdoor adventures, he also is captivated by the research on his findings.
‘There’s a lot yet to learn about this world and other worlds’meteorites are a viable key to that discovery. That’s what makes meteorites so valuable to the science world’with the right expertise we can unlock secrets to the solar system, and our own existence for that matter.?
Atkins said that some researchers are suggesting that life on Earth began when meteorites ‘sowed? seeds of animals and plants on our planet.
‘Consider some classes of meteorites that contain carbon, water and amino acids’foundations of life. It just makes sense that other planets may have life on them, there’s a lot yet to be learned.?
If you think you have a meteorite or want to learn more about them, you can contact Larry Atkins at the Kearsley Creek Cafe. Details: 810-636-6183.