One of the fragments of meteorite was recovered from Winchcombe.
A meteorite that fell on a pavement in the UK has been described as “remarkably rare” by the Natural History Museum, which says it could provide answers to questions about the early history of the solar system and life on Earth. Weighing nearly 300 grams, the meteorite was recovered from the Cotswold village of Winchcombe by scientists, CNN reports.
The Natural History Museum in London said in a statement released Monday that the rock is composed of carbonaceous chondrite. Carbonaceous chondrites are a type of “very rare” chondritic meteorites. “They are the most important and precious materials in the solar system and can provide unparalleled information on where water and the building blocks are made and what planets are made of,” said the museum.Carbonaceous chondrites are known “to contain organics and amino-acids – ingredients for life. “
The meteorite fell from a fireball that lit up the skies across the UK and Northern Europe on 28 February. It survived through a passage of fire through the Earth’s atmosphere before landing on a driveway where scientists were able to retrieve the fragments.
New pictures of the #fireball tonight. Posted by Katie Parr pic.twitter.com/J4jmsM9tFj
– UK Meteor Network (@UKMeteorNetwork) February 28, 2021
The fragments were recovered in such good condition that they resemble rock samples returned from space. This was made possible thanks to the homeowner on the driveway where the meteorite landed. He picked up the chips and contacted the UK Meteor Observation Network as soon as he saw the rock on its way.
Meteorites are much older than any rock found on Earth. There are about 65,000 meteorites on Earth, and only 1,206 have been seen falling. Of these only 51 are carbonaceous chondrites.
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