What have I found? Possible Metorite?

Hey ATS,

Wasn't sure where to post this, so thought I'd chuck it in General Chit Chat.

I was out swimming in an old quarry with some friends in the pine forest on the weekend in Victoria, Australia.
After a while we decided to go a little further into the forest and find a spot to go fishing.
We came across a very secluded spot and parked the car.
As I got out of the car, this strange looking "rock" sitting amongst the bluestone gravel a few metres away caught my eye:

(Sorry about the images, kinda hard to take a decent photo of it)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e9374d83bd87.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/32937921bac8.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7079df27d55e.jpg[/atsimg]

There was nothing else even remotely similar visible in the area, as I said above, it was just sitting amongst the gravel.

Details:

1. It is definitely some form of metal, not rock.
2. It is almost perfectly spherical.
3. It is roughly 1.5 inches in diameter.
4. It is extremely heavy for it's size, feels heavier than a ball of lead
5. No magnetism as far as I can tell.

Anyone have any idea what it is?

it is not magnetic but it is definitely metal? It appears to oxidize orange.. it should be magnetic? What other metals besides iron do that?

Careful!, It could be the Loc-Nar!

Other than that, very kool find

reply to post by jsncrs


hi op
looks like an old cannon ball

reply to post by etombo


Honestly, I haven't properly tested it. I'm at work at the moment but will test it when I get home.

reply to post by davesmart


I thought that also! Also thought it could have been an old fishing sinker, but it's heavier than lead and has no visible holes.

I know there are some naturally forming spherical rocks here in the US. The are found in some river.. I will try to see if I can figure out where, I'l have to do some digging. The cannonball idea sounds promising but it should be magnetic if that is the case..

reply to post by etombo


Interesting. I considered it could be naturally forming. However it is definitely some form of metal.

reply to post by jsncrs


Hey J, her's a couple of helpful site for meteor identification that I used to try to figure out what I had:
meteorite-identification.com...

www.meteorite.com...

www.meteorites.com.au...

Unfortunately, I did read a few times that meteorites are almost never round. Usually a man made object.
Cool find though!

reply to post by jsncrs


I do not think I have ever seen a spherical meteorite either. Typically they are domed on one side if that.. Usually they are a mangled mess.

could be a geode or hematite, I would cut it in half, can't see a lot from the outside.

My first thought was old musket bullet, but since you live in Australia I don't think it is one.

Any experts in meteorites please check this out:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by jsncrs


Neat S & F
Got A funny rock also you just me a good way to find out what it may be
Thank

Here is the answer when you get home:

Link to website

METEORITE OR METEORWRONG?

metal, iron, & nickel

About two-thirds of all known meteorites contain iron-nickel (FeNi) metal. "Iron-nickel" means that the metal is mostly iron but it contains 5-30% nickel as well as a few tenths of a percent cobalt. Iron-nickel metal in meteorites also has high concentrations (by terrestrial standards) of rare metals like gold, platinum, and iridium. It's usually easiest and cheapest to test for nickel, however, because it's more abundant than the rare metals.

Bottom Line:

If you have a rock that contains metal and the metal contains >5% nickel, then the rock is probably a meteorite.

If you have a rock that contains metal and the metal contains

I'm not sure, but to me it looks like as someone else said an old cannon ball, or perhaps an old train bearing. Were there tracks anywhere near where you were? Perhaps to move stone in and out of the quarry?

There is an old train depot near where I grew up where you can find bearings all over that look just like this.

This is almost too strange for words. I'm not trying to steal your thunder or hijack your thread but I picked up a possible meteorite today, I have e-mailed description to a few people who study them but haven't heard back yet. A brief description (will post pics if it turns out to be real) of the rock.........
Fist sized with varying texture, smooth and crusty in different areas.
I broke it open (probably not the best decision) and the smell of sulfur was immediate, the wife made me take it outside after less than 5 minutes because the smell was so strong.
Interior of rock is very smooth, there are metal particles and what appears to be burn or char marks inside, there are several circular holes of different size inside as well.
I was able to pick one of the pieces up with a magnet when I placed it over one of the darker spots.
I wrapped it in plastic and put the pieces in a coffee can, after seeing "The Andromeda Strain" many years ago I like to keep possible space junk in a secured container.

reply to post by Backslider


None that I'm aware of, this particular spot is very dense with huge trees and was very secluded. Still a possibility I guess. Have just purchased a nickel testing kit off eBay and will do the test as soon as it arrives. Have also emailed a local observatory to find out their opinion.

I found something just like it in West Virginia. On a Gravel Road.
It was a Concretion. It was heavy and non-magnetic. About the same size as yours.
I broke it in half with a chisel...It had a slightly differentiated core, very small. but was mostly the same material all the way through.

Other concretions

That's my semi-educated guess.