Geologists are marveling at this tiny glassy object which was discovered on the rim of a crater near a Hawaiian volcano.
The half inch long egg-shaped object is not a mystery, per se, since it has been identified as a glass particle known as a 'Pele's tear.'
These particles are named after the Hawaiian volcano god and are formed via fast-cooling lava.
However this particular Pele's tear has left researchers puzzled due to its hollow nature and surprising resiliency given its tremendously fragile state.
"Nothing like this has been seen before," a geologist from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory told the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
Currently on display in a glass case at the observatory, scientists hope to study the one-of-a-kind object in order to decipher how it may have formed.
Visitors to the observatory will be able to observe the object, but the building will likely invoke a strict "look but don't touch" policy, since the slightest disturbance could shatter it.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser