It came from the far reaches of the solar system, but until recently it was a doorstop.

Meteorite hunters Martin Beech, left, and Nathan Seon say the meteorite from the asteroid belt offers information about our solar system.
(Emily Elias/CBC)

It's a meteorite, only the 15th to be found in Saskatchewan, and it's now the subject of intense interest at the University of Regina.

The rock from space was discovered in 1999 in a field west of Davidson.

The Regina man who found it had been using it to prop a door open for the last few years before calling up the experts.

"We do get quite a few phone calls and e-mails and things. His really sounded like a rusted iron," said third-year geology student Nathan Seon, referring to a type of meteorite with a high metal content.

Seon is a part of the Prairie Meteorite Search, a joint program of the U of R and the University of Calgary.

Third-year geology student Nathan Seon holds a slice of the meteorite.
(Emily Elias/CBC)

According to Martin Beech, the U of R's resident meteor expert and one of the meteorite search leaders, the scientific benefit of this find could come years down the road after detailed chemical analyses are done.

"They are derived from asteroids, this is the region between Mars and Jupiter, so this literally tells us something about that part of the solar system," Beech said.

The meteorite is brown, contains iron and nickel, and weighs about 1.3 kilograms.

The group usually finds one meteorite every two years.

They're continuing the search, realizing it may be a while before another one of the latest quality is found.

"Usually you have to sift through 300 or 400 odd-looking rocks before you turn up a meteorite," Beech said.