The discovery of a 4km-diameter meteorite impact crater in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia has sparked excitement and curiosity. The site, named the "Ora Banda impact structure," is particularly intriguing due to its proximity to a historic gold mining district and the presence of ancient greenstones, which are valuable to the Australian economy due to their gold content. The impact site was accidentally discovered during exploration drilling for gold, and the scientific process to confirm its impact crater status involved documenting diagnostic evidence, such as shatter cones, shocked quartz grains, and extra-terrestrial meteorite residue. The discovery of these unique features, along with the presence of gold particles in the breccia deposits, suggests that the impact event may have rained gold on the region. This finding adds to the growing list of 34 confirmed meteorite impact craters across Australia, ranging in age from a few thousand years old to 2.2 billion years old. The Ora Banda impact structure is a fascinating example of the unique and exotic debris that can be ejected during a meteorite impact, and it raises questions about the potential for similar impacts in the future.
