A lump of rare meteorite lit the night sky over the UK and northern Europe last week recovered from a driveway in Gloucestershire.
The chip, weighing nearly 300 grams, and other pieces of space rock were discovered after scientists reconstructed the flight path of the fireball that released sonic energy while it tears across the skies shortly before 10pm UK time on Sunday 28 February.
The black lump of rockaceous carbonaceous chondrite never seen before fell in the UK on a driveway in the town of Cotswolds in Winchcombe, scientists at the Natural History Museum in London said, adding that get more cookies nearby.
Ashley Green, a scientist at the museum, said it was “a dream come true” to be one of the first people to see and study quartz that was recovered almost in the morning. immediately after coming down.
Photographs of the clear climb captured by the public, and a camera network run by the UK Fireball Federation at the Natural History Museum, have helped researchers discover that the meteor was on the horizon. part of an orbit between Mars and Jupiter before plowing into Earth’s atmosphere.
Computer modeling showed that the remnants of the meteor were coming down like meteorites north of Cheltenham, but with the space rock traveling at around 30,000mph it was difficult to predict the exact location.
The so-called Winchcombe meteorite is the first to be recovered in the UK in 30 years and the first carbonaceous chondrite found in the country to date. Of the approximately 65,000 known meteorites on Earth, only 51 are carbonaceous chondrites. A mixture of minerals and organic fertilizers, including amino acid building blocks, are considered the most primitive and valuable substances in the solar system.
Since the meteorite was discovered Wednesday, Dr. King has been advising on the care and behavior of the rock back to London, where it will be officially classified and further examined to understand its importance.
Richard Greenwood, a planetary scientist at the Open University, said he was “shocked” to see a lump of rock. “It’s emotional to be the first to prove to those standing in front of you that what they heard on their driveway overnight is the real thing,” he said.
More fragments can still be found such as black stones, piles of tiny rocks, or even dust, scientists believe. Locals are urged to find possible remains and take a photograph and record the location before collecting a sample in aluminum foil and contact the Natural History Museum.