Scientists on the hunt for 3kg meteor that could uncover ancient secrets

A small rock streaked across the Victorian sky and vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

Scientists are now racing against time to track down its landing spot.

Its journey from deep space to Earth has captured the imagination of researchers and locals alike.

In the days following the fall of an ‘extremely valuable’ meteorite, experts from Monash University pinpointed its collision to a 1km by 3km patch of farmland in central Victoria.

Dr Rachel Kirby, a geochemist at Monash, said the meteorite could be 4.5 billion years old, predating the Earth itself. ‘It has the story of our solar system recorded in it,’ she shared.

The team aimed to study the rock to better understand the composition of the solar system without relying on costly spacecraft missions.

Using the Desert Fireball Network, which specialises in meteorite detection, researchers in Victoria collaborated with a Curtin University expert across the continent.

They calculated the meteorite had likely originated in the inner asteroid belt, 179.5 to 329 million kilometres away, before entering Earth’s path.

The rock is composed of iron, nickel and rocky fragments, but its exact location posed a challenge due to the farmland terrain.

Home security footage captured the meteorite falling on 10 August. Cameras around Bendigo and Ballarat recorded its bright descent as it entered the atmosphere.

Researchers have spent the past week scouring paddocks for the meteorite. Enthusiasts from the public also joined the search, though a few landowners denied access, leaving the possibility it might never be recovered.

Locating the meteorite is made harder because it weighs just 1 to 3kg and is no bigger than a grapefruit.

Kirby noted the difficulty of distinguishing it from common paddock objects. ‘From a distance, animal poo looks a lot like a meteorite, especially when it’s fresh. It’s dark, and shiny, and round. Cow poos are a little bit easier to tell apart, but when it comes to horses, it’s a challenge,’ she said.

Locals have mostly welcomed the scientists, who take care to work safely in the fields. Kirby’s previous expeditions included a major search in Antarctica, and she has first-aid training and experience in remote environments.

The current expedition coincided with sunnier weather, prompting the team to stay alert for snakes and wear high boots.

The next search is scheduled for the Nullarbor Plain, a vast arid region in southern Australia.

Holding a meteorite remains a profound experience for Kirby. ‘We’re a very small planet in our solar system. Most of our solar system is a vacuum; there’s a lot of space between planets. And then a small rock happened to have its path align with ours, and we met in space, and it landed on the Earth,’ she said.

‘That’s just unlikely and really fortunate.’

Could a tiny rock from billions of years ago really hold the secrets of our solar system in the palm of your hand?