A Close Encounter of the Drool-Worthy Kind

A collector discovered a rare 1,400-pound meteorite 7 feet underground in Brenham Township, Kan., an area long known for producing prized space rocks. Using a metal detector mounted on a three-wheel vehicle, Steve Arnold of Kingston, Ark., found the meteorite two weeks ago.

The meteorite is classified as an oriented pallasite, a type noted for a conical shape with crystals embedded in iron-nickel alloy.

“It is aesthetically the type of meteorite that makes collectors drool,” Arnold said.