One of the largest meteorites ever recorded in Michigan didn’t attract the attention of experts until more than 80 years after its discovery.
Living a humble life as a 10-kilogram doorstop on a local farm, the cosmic stone sat idle for decades before being recognized by the scientific community.
“I knew right away that this was something special” Mona Silvescu, Geologist at Central Michigan University (CMU), Explained in 2018 After investigating the object.
“This is the most valuable specimen I have ever owned in my life, both financially and scientifically.”
Frameborder=”0″ Permissions=”Accelerometer; Autoplay; Clipboard writing; Encrypted media; Gyroscope;
David Mazurek, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, asked Silvesque if he could examine the stone, which had been in storage for 30 years, in case it was a meteorite.
For Silvescu, this was a regular request throughout her career, but usually with less than exciting results.
“For 18 years, the answer has been a resounding ‘no’…not a meteorite.” In a statement at the time, she explained:.
But this time the answer was different.
Not only was it truly a cosmic stone, it was spectacular in that regard.
The object, called the Edmore meteorite, is a large iron-nickel meteorite containing a significant amount of nickel, about 12 percent.
How the meteorite came into Mazurek’s possession is a story in itself.
According to Silvescu, when Mazurek purchased the farm in Edmore, Michigan, in 1988, he was shown the grounds by the previous owner and saw a large strange stone propped up to open the storeroom door. He said he saw it.
When Mazurek asked the departed owner about the rock, he was told that the doorstop was actually a meteorite.
The man went on to say that in the 1930s, he and his father witnessed a meteorite fall on their property at night. “And when it hit, it made a huge noise.”.
The next morning, they found a crater left by the object and dug out the meteorite from the newly formed ditch. They said it was still warm.
What’s the craziest thing? The man told Mazurek that the meteorite was part of his property and would now be his.
And Mazurek kept that cosmic stone for 30 years, continuing to use it as a doorstop except when his children took the stone to school to show or teach.
Eventually, I realized that people were making money by finding and selling small meteorite fragments, so I thought I should get my big boulders valued.
Meteorites often command high prices due to their rarity and scientific value, so you can imagine Mazurek must have been overjoyed when he finally did.
“What happens a lot with meteorites at the moment is that they can be sold and put up in museums or sold to collectors and sellers looking to make a profit.” Silvesque said.
In the end, Mazurek sold the meteorite to Michigan State University’s Abrams Planetarium and promised 10 percent of the profits to the CMU’s Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Division, where Silvesque identified the stone.
whats the price tag? $75,000.
Not too bad for an old door stopper.
A previous version of this article was published in October 2018.