He found it in the park, and for years he tried to break it, thinking it contained gold. When he learned the truth, he was speechless: It is more valuable than gold!

Australian amateur miner David Hole spent years trying to break open a red rock he found with his metal detector and believed contained gold.

The secret of the stone, which he could not break even with a saw, a drill, acid and a sledgehammer, was revealed in the museum: Hole had unknowingly found a priceless meteorite that carried secrets older than even the Solar System.

It all began in 2015, when David Hole was metal detecting in Maryborough Regional Park, near Melbourne. Hearing a strong signal, Hole dug and came across an extremely heavy, reddish rock. Believing he was holding a large gold nugget, the miner excitedly took the piece home, as the area was known for its gold mining.

Hoping to access the gold within, Hole tried every method imaginable to open the stone. He first used a stone saw, drilled holes in it, sanded it with a grinder, and even poured acid on it. But none of these methods worked. Even his last resort, a sledgehammer, left no trace on the stone. This extraordinary durability only deepened the stone's mystery.

He had the shock of his life

After years of unsuccessful attempts, Hole decided to take the stone to the Melbourne Museum, where he got the shock of his life.

Geologist Dermot Henry, who examined the stone, was immediately suspicious. "As these types of rocks enter the atmosphere, their surfaces melt, acquiring a distinctive, hollow shape," Henry said, confirming that the stone was, in fact, extraterrestrial.

Henry, who stated that he has examined thousands of rocks in his 37-year career, but that this is only the second true meteorite, underlined how rare this discovery is.

Dubbed the "Maryborough Meteorite," this rare 17-kilogram (35-pound) piece was cut and examined by scientists using a diamond-tipped saw. The analysis revealed that the rock is a type of H5 chondrite, high in iron, and contains crystal droplets called chondrules, dating back to the early formation of the Solar System.

Geologist Henry emphasized the scientific importance of such discoveries with the following words: "Meteorites are far more valuable than gold from a scientific perspective. They provide us with invaluable clues about the age, formation and chemistry of our Solar System. Some even contain stardust that is older than the Solar System itself."

Researchers estimate that the rock fell to Earth 100 to 1,000 years ago from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Experts say that although thousands of gold nuggets have been found in the Australian state of Victoria, the number of recorded meteorites is

Geologist Henry described this as "an almost astronomical coincidence," once again demonstrating the extraordinary nature of David Hole's discovery.