A piece of black rock dating back to the early solar system has fallen into a residential driveway in England.
At the end of last month, about 10.6 ounces (300 grams) of rock was hit in the lane by Rob and Katherine Wilcock, who live in the small town of Wincombe. England.
“When I heard the sound falling, I stood and looked out the window to see what was there. But because of the darkness I couldn’t see anything.” tell BBC. “Just when we got out the next morning we saw it on the road. It was like splashing liquid. To be honest, my original idea-is someone driving around Cotswolds and throwing chunks of charcoal into people’s gardens?”
Not a piece of coal. Instead, it is meteor. And not only some kind of meteorite, it is a mass of carbonate chondrites, which is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old, dating back to the formation of the solar system. statement At the University of Manchester.
“Almost all meteorites come to us from asteroids, and they are the rest of the building blocks of the solar system that can tell us how planets like Earth were formed.” said In a statement. “The opportunity to see and study the recovered meteorite for the first time right after the crash is a dream come true!”
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A rare specimen arrived at the Fire of Glory on February 3 due to the sky-lit rocks in England and Northern Europe. 28, 2021. A fireball entering Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 8.7 miles per second (14 km per second).), Thousands of witnesses have witnessed it, and many have reported the scene. British meteorite surveillance network.
Wide camera images captured from different angles allowed scientists to triangulate the landing point as well as reproduce the flight path through the solar system. Manchester statement. Other remnants of the shattered asteroid appear to have fallen into it. Area known as CotswoldsThe search for this precious piece continues.
Along with the main one, there are other smaller ones from the meteor impact. Driving lane. It’s a mess of dust torn, but the bit is It is in perfect condition compared to the original sample returned from a space mission.
Richard Greenwood, a researcher at Open University, said in a statement: “I was shocked to see it and I immediately knew it was a rare meteorite and a completely unique event.” “It’s emotional for the people standing in front of you to be sure that the noise they hear in the hallway all night is really real.”
Chondrite carbonate is made from a mixture of minerals and organic compounds such as amino acids. By studying these ancient bodies, scientists can look back on the early days of the solar system and better understand the origins of planets and water and how the components of life reached Earth.
Rob Wilcock told the BBC: “We are very pleased that something has happened that is of great value to the human understanding of the science, the world and the solar system. And we can be a part of it.”
The meteorite is transported to the Museum of Natural History, where the subject can be investigated.
Of the tens of thousands of meteorites known on Earth, only 51 are carbonate chondrites. The meteorite of February 28 is the first carbon chondrite to be discovered in the UK. Meteorite samples collected for the first time in the state since 1991.