'Cash Fell From Sky': Hundreds Of Meteorite Rocks Worth Upto Rs 20 Lakh Fall On Brazilian Town
Hundreds of meteorite chunks rained down in a small Brazilian town on August 19. The largest piece yet is reportedly worth more than ?20,000 ($26,000).
A remote Brazilian town has been buzzing with people after hundreds of meteorite chunks rained down there on August 19. The largest piece yet is reportedly worth more than ?20,000 (Approx Rs 20 lakh).
The pieces of the space rock that fell are believed to be part of a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite, that dates back to the start of the solar system. These fragments have been found in Santa Filomena, in northeastern Brazil.
Only one percent of meteorites are of this type, and these specimens can sell for tens of thousands of pounds. For the locals from the poor and rural town, this has presented an opportunity to instantly become rich.
The ?20,000 meteorite piece reportedly weighs 40 kg. Some videos also show some rocks falling from the sky. 20-year-old Edimar da Costa Rodrigues, a student, said he saw the sky 'fill up with smoke' while he was at home.
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"The price is getting close to 40 reals (?5.50) per gram, and it's getting higher. Only a few days ago it was half that. Ninety percent of the town's population are farmers. There aren't many shops, nothing that generates jobs. It's a humble place, with people on a low wage. Most people think it's a really good thing. Lots of people have found a rock, and it has come at a time when many really need some money to pay the bills,¡± Mail Online quoted Mr Costa Rodrigues as saying.
Gabriel Silva, from Sao Paulo University's Chemistry Institute, told the same publication that, "This meteorite is of the chondrite type. It is one of the first minerals that formed in the Solar System, before the Earth. The meteorite could tell us much about how the universe was formed."
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According to World News J many of the large rocks were discovered across a church so some locals believe that the meteorite was ¡®dispatched by God.¡¯
According to the report, one piece weighing 2.8 kg, was being negotiated by Brazil¡¯s National Museum for around ?15,000 (Approx 15 lakh).
Apparently, Meteorite hunters travelled to the town from different parts of Brazil, skilled collectors from the US and Uruguay also came to the town.
Locals in the town, referred to August 19 as the ¡®cash fell from the sky¡¯ because for them, it has proven to be as good as that.
Also Read: If You Have Rs 1.7 Crore Lying Around, You Can Buy An Authentic Meteorite At An Online Auction!