美國(guó)男子竟用稀有的隕石碎片抵門(mén)數(shù)十年

A Michigan man curious about a rock he'd used for decades as a doorstop now knows its secret: it's a meteorite worth $100,000.

密歇根一名男子對(duì)他數(shù)十年來(lái)用來(lái)支撐大門(mén)的一塊石頭充滿好奇，現(xiàn)在他終于知道了其中的秘密：這塊石頭居然是一塊價(jià)值10萬(wàn)美元的隕石。

In fact, the nearly 23-pound hunk of iron and nickel is the sixth largest meteorite found in Michigan, according to the Smithsonian Museum and Central Michigan University.

據(jù)史密森尼博物館和中密歇根大學(xué)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，事實(shí)上，這顆重近23磅的鐵鎳隕石是在密歇根發(fā)現(xiàn)的第六大的隕石。

David Mazurek said he took his doorstop to the university for examination after seeing reports in January of meteorite pieces selling for thousands of dollars.

大衛(wèi)·馬祖雷克稱，在看到今年1月有關(guān)隕石碎片賣了幾千美元的報(bào)道后，他帶著這塊石頭，前往中密歇根大學(xué)進(jìn)行鑒定。

"I said, 'Wait a minute. I wonder how much mine is worth,'" Mazurek said.

馬祖雷克說(shuō)：“我說(shuō)，‘等一等，我想看看我的能值多少錢(qián)’。”

University Geology Professor Mona Sirbescu first identified the piece as more than just a rock. She then sent two small slices of the rock to the Smithsonian for confirmation.

該校地質(zhì)學(xué)教授莫娜·西貝斯庫(kù)首先鑒別出這不是一塊普通的石頭。然后她把其中兩小塊送到了史密森尼博物館去鑒定。

"I could tell right away that this was something special," she said. "It's the most valuable specimen I have ever held in my life, monetarily and scientifically."

她說(shuō)道：“我馬上就覺(jué)得這個(gè)東西很不一樣。無(wú)論是從科學(xué)上還是從其價(jià)值而言，這都是我手里拿過(guò)的最寶貴的樣品。”

Mazurek said the meteorite came with a barn he bought in 1988 in Edmore. He said the farmer who sold him the property told him it landed in his backyard in the 1930s.

馬祖雷克稱，他是在1988年在埃德莫爾購(gòu)買農(nóng)場(chǎng)時(shí)得到這塊隕石的。賣出農(nóng)場(chǎng)的農(nóng)民告訴他，這塊石頭是在20世紀(jì)30年代落到這個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)上的。

More tests are being conducted to see if the meteorite contains rare elements.

研究人員還作了許多測(cè)試，以確認(rèn)隕石里是否含有稀有元素。

"What typically happens with these at this point is that meteorites can either be sold and shown in a museum or sold to collectors and sellers looking to make a profit," Sirbescu said.

西貝斯庫(kù)教授說(shuō)：“這種隕石通常都是賣給博物館展出，或者是賣給期望從中獲利的收藏家的。”

The Smithsonian and a mineral museum in Maine are considering purchasing the specimen.

史密森尼博物館和緬因州的一家礦物博物館正在考慮購(gòu)買這塊隕石。