Unexpected find: Gold-seeker's rock turns out to be ancient meteorite
David Hole had a rock of considerable value in his home for several years. He found it near Melbourne, Australia, and initially thought it was gold. However, it turned out that his find was much more valuable.
For many years, David Hole kept the rock he found near Melbourne at home, believing it might contain gold. To his surprise, his discovery turned out to be far more precious.
The story, reported by focus.de, took place in 2015. Hole was exploring Maryborough Regional Park at the time when his metal detector located a heavy, reddish rock buried in the clay.
Hole brought the chunk home, suspecting it was a gold nugget. This assumption was reasonable, as Maryborough is situated in the Goldfields region, known for significant discoveries of precious metals in the 19th century.
The Australian tried various methods to reach the supposed metal. He used a rock saw, an angle grinder, a drill, and even acid. Despite his efforts, none of these methods could penetrate the rock's hard surface.
A valuable rock. He thought it was gold
After several years, Hole took the rock to a local museum for expert examination. It turned out that it wasn't a gold nugget, but a rare meteorite dating back 4.6 billion years. Research suggested it likely landed on Earth about 1,000 years ago.
The rock, now known as the Maryborough meteorite, weighed about 17 kilograms. Geologists at the museum explained that its heaviness was due to its dense forms of iron and nickel, which differ from those in terrestrial rocks.
A museum staff member used a diamond saw to slice a piece of the meteorite. Inside, they found tiny, solidified droplets, remnants of silicate minerals crystallized from gas that formed the Solar System.
The stone discovered by Hole was identified as a chondritic meteorite from the H5 group, which orbited the Sun approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Over time, gravity brought these materials together, leading to the formation of Earth and other rocky planets.
