The following press release was submitted to Glenside Local by Brett Cohen:

When reports of a brilliant fireball and a house-shaking sonic boom spread across more than 10 states on March 17, 2026, Ambler resident and expert meteorite hunter Brett Joseph Cohen didn’t hesitate. Within
hours, he was on the road, heading toward what he suspected would become a fresh “strewn field”—the projected area where meteorites may have fallen based on collected data.

“The reports looked solid. The data was promising. The radar returns were strong—this was a perfect recipe for potential meteorite recoveries,” Cohen said. “When everything lines up like that, you pack your bags, say your goodbyes, and go.”

Cohen arrived in Medina County, Ohio later that same day, joining other experienced meteorite hunters. Using radar data, trajectory modeling, and eyewitness accounts, the group narrowed the likely fall zone to a corridor roughly 10 miles wide—an area scattered with potential stones from a six-foot-wide, seven-ton asteroid that broke apart in Earth’s atmosphere.

The work that follows is equal parts science and persistence. Experts map out search areas, secure permission to access private land, and begin covering ground on foot—often walking up to 20 miles or more per day.

But for Cohen, the urgency extends beyond simply being first on site. He works directly with scientists to ensure newly recovered meteorites are analyzed and classified as quickly as possible. Freshly fallen meteorites are especially valuable because they have minimal exposure to Earth’s environment. Moisture, oxygen, and microbes can begin altering their composition almost immediately—a process known as
terrestrial weathering.

“The sooner you recover them, the closer they are to how they existed in space,” Cohen explained. “In some cases, we’re recovering them just hours after they land. That’s what makes them so important for scientific study.”

Fragments from this fall are believed to originate from Vesta, one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, making this type of fall exceptionally rare. Early finds have drawn strong interest both scientifically and commercially, with some specimens reaching prices of $500 or more per gram.

So far, Cohen has recovered five glassy, blackened stones with distinctive surface features formed during their high-speed descent through the atmosphere. Some stones even showcase 360 degrees of spikes surrounding it, a unique feature not commonly found on meteorites.

While some specimens enter private collections, others are prioritized for research. Cohen regularly works with laboratories to ensure proper documentation and classification, contributing to the broader scientific understanding of planetary formation and the early solar system. One of his stones from Ohio has already been donated to science.

Cohen, 41, developed an interest in meteorites as a child growing up in Huntingdon Valley (Lower Moreland Township). He later turned that passion into a full-time career through his business, The Interstellar Collection, where he provides clients, museums, and universities with fully authenticated, traceable, and officially published meteorites, while also educating the public and actively pursuing new recoveries.

His work allows him to continually connect with a close-knit network of other expert meteorite hunters who travel across the globe in response to new falls. In Ohio, days were spent scanning fields, while evenings brought shared meals and strategy discussions for the next day’s search.

While progress has been made, Cohen believes the most significant piece—the main mass—remains undiscovered. Recent rain has softened the ground, increasing the likelihood that larger fragments could become buried in their own little craters they’ve created.

“Somewhere out there, there’s still a much larger stone waiting to be found,” he said. “The challenge is getting to it before it’s lost beneath the surface.”

Cohen and his team even attempted an aerial search of the strewn field through hiring a pilot and private airplane in hopes of spotting a visible impact site from the sky, but weather conditions prevented safe low-altitude flight, and that mission was put on hold.

After 14 days in the field and more than 193,000 steps—equating to roughly 100 miles of walking—he has returned to his Ambler residence. When asked if he plans to return to Ohio again for a search in the near future, he simply looked over with hesitation and a smile, saying “The strewn field is a funny place. When you’re ready to throw in the towel, you leave it just as fast as you had packed your bags to get there on day one. Yet, during the entire ride home, you wish you had never left”.

For more about The Interstellar Collection, LLC, you can visit their website and Instagram page.

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Photos: Brett Cohen