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After years of keeping a stone believing it to be gold, a man discovered that it was something much rarer and more valuable, surprising experts and collectors.
For years, a peculiar stone was kept in the hope that it contained gold, fueling dreams of wealth and prosperity. However, when the owner finally decided to investigate further, the discovery was surprising: the stone, far from being gold, turned out to be something much rarer and more precious. valuable.
In 2015, what looked like just another ordinary stone found by a treasure hunter turned out to be a discovery astronomical. David Hole, who explored the Maryborough Regional Park, in Australia, with his metal detector, found a heavy, reddish stone on a layer of yellow clay. Initially, Hole believed he had found a gold nugget.
Be a gold nugget would make sense in a region famous for the gold rush of nineteenth century. However, what appeared to be a simple rock turned out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found.
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Museums Victoria)
The search for the meteorite
After several attempts to open the rock, including using a saw, grinder and even acid, the hole failed to form any cracks. But his persistence led him to seek out the Melbourne Museum to confirm what had been found.
The geologist Dermot Henry, after examining it, stated with certainty that the rock was, in fact, a rare meteorite, with a peculiar formation that occurs when space objects enter the Earth's atmosphere, melt on the outside and acquire a sculpted texture.
The discovery, dubbed the Maryborough meteorite, is 4,6 billion years old and weighs an impressive 17 kilograms. When it was cut open, researchers found its iron-rich composition, characteristic of common H5 chondrite meteorites.
Additionally, the meteorite contains tiny crystals of metallic minerals known as chondrules, which provide valuable clues about the formation of the Solar System.
PRSV , 2019)
The scientific value of the discovery
This meteorite is more than just a rare piece of rock. For scientists, it is a time capsule, carrying fundamental information about the origin of our Solar System and even about Earth.
Meteorites like this have the ability to reveal how stars form and evolve, and they may also contain organic molecules such as amino acids, the building blocks of life.
Although it is not yet known exactly where the meteorite came from, it is believed to have been ejected from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter after collisions between asteroids.
Dating suggests it arrived on Earth between 100 and 1.000 years ago, with meteor sightings between 1889 and 1951 that may coincide with its arrival.
This meteorite is only the 17th found in the state of Victoria, making it extremely rare, even more so when compared to gold, which continues to be found in large quantities in the region.
For researchers, it is a valuable find, not only for science, but for the history of our planet and the universe. In the end, Hole, without knowing it, was responsible for bringing to light a relic from another time, something that will likely continue to be studied for generations.
Now, perhaps, is the perfect time to take a look at the rocks you have at home – who knows, you might also have a piece of space waiting to be discovered.
I have a rare amber
An article about an amber found in Romania that sold for more than six million euros
She was amazed. I have a rock here that is very heavy and hard, I can't break it with anything, it looks like iron.