Can a meteorite be found inside a rock?
Not usually. Meteorites land on the surface, so they are not found inside Earth rocks, except for rare fossil meteorites preserved in ancient sedimentary rock.
When people crack open a rock and find something unusual inside, such as a shiny metal grain, a round nodule or a dark core, they sometimes wonder if it could be a meteorite. In almost all cases, it is not.
Why not? Meteorites land on Earth's surface and lie there until they are found, buried by soil or weathered away. They do not get inside other rocks, except in very special circumstances.
Fossil meteorites. The exception is fossil meteorites. In southern Sweden, more than 100 meteorites have been found inside limestone about 467 million years old. They fell on an ancient sea floor, were buried in sediment and became part of the rock. However, their original minerals have mostly been replaced by Earth minerals, and they look like dark round patches in the limestone, recognised only by experts using chromite grains.
What else could it be? - Concretions: rounded lumps formed inside sedimentary rocks, often with layers inside. - Pyrite or marcasite: shiny brassy minerals often found in shale and chalk. - Fossils: shells, ammonites or other remains. - Iron nodules: rusty lumps of iron minerals. - Geodes: hollow rocks lined with crystals.
Micrometeorites. Tiny micrometeorites can be found in sediments, such as deep-sea mud and ancient rocks, but they require microscopes and lab analysis to identify.
If you find something interesting inside a rock, a local museum or geology club can help identify it.