One of the largest meteorites ever recorded in the state of Michigan has only attracted the attention of American experts more than 80 years after it was discovered.
The 10kg meteorite ended up at a local farm, where it was used as a doorstop. The farm owner was unaware of the true value of the stone.
The doorstop stone was identified as a large meteorite in Michigan, USA. (Photo: CNN)
"I could tell right away that this was something special. This is the most valuable specimen I've ever seen in my life, both monetarily and scientifically ," Science Alert quoted Mona Sirbescu, a geologist at Central Michigan University (CMU) as explaining in 2018 while studying the object.
Previously, Mr. David Mazurek, a farm owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan, asked Ms. Sirbescu to appraise the rock he had owned for the past 30 years, suspecting it was a meteorite.
“In my 18 years of working, my answer has always been no, it’s not a meteorite. But this time, the answer was completely different,” Sirbescu said.
Mr Mazurek's rock was confirmed to be a special meteorite, and was officially named the Edmore Meteorite. It is made up of an iron-nickel mixture, with nickel accounting for 12% of its mass.
Mona Sirbescu studies a 10kg meteorite. (Photo: Mashable)
According to Ms. Sirbescu, when Mr. Mazurek bought the farm in the village of Edmore, Michigan, in 1988, the previous owner took him on a tour of the farm, and he discovered a strangely shaped stone used to block the door.
When Mr. Mazurek asked the previous owner about the rock, he said it was actually a meteorite. In the 1930s, the man and his father had seen the meteorite fall on the property at night, and heard a loud bang as it hit the ground. The next morning, they found the meteorite.
The former owner said that since the meteorite was part of the farm, when Mr. Mazurek bought it, it would also belong to him.
Mr. Mazurek kept the stone for 30 years, and continued to use it as a doorstop, except on occasions when his children brought the stone to school to show off and tell stories.
The farmer knew that many people were making money from finding and selling small meteorites, so he could do the same with his doorstop. Because of their rarity and scientific value, meteorites often sell for high prices.
Mazurek eventually sold the meteorite to Central Michigan University for $75,000, a hefty sum for a rock that had been used as a doorstop for decades.
(Source: Vietnamnet)
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