Poland's largest meteorite officially weighed

Professor Andrzek Muszynski (C) and Lukasz Smula (R): Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk

Geologists at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, western Poland, have been engaged in a painstaking cleaning process over the last fortnight, ultimately brushing off some 18 kg of debris.

“We're proud that we managed to clean it up, and from next Monday, the meteorite will be on display at the Earth Museum of our department,” enthused Professor Andrzej Muszynski, head of the research team, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The 261 kg marvel was found on 8 October at Poznan's Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve.

The reserve was established in 1976 at a site where meteorites were first discovered in 1914.

Prior to last month's find, the largest meteorite to be discovered on Polish soil weighed in at 164 kg. It was found in 2006, also at the Poznan reserve.

October's discovery was made by Magdalena Skirzewska and Lukasz Smula, two geologists from the Silesian city of Opole.

Smula noted that he had been working at the site for ten years.

“This is the culmination of our work, and it's an amazing discovery, not only for hunters, but also for science itself,” he said. (nh)