March 29, 2024

Rare fragments of a meteorite discovered in southwest England

Rare fragments of a meteorite discovered in southwest England

Rare fragments of a meteorite discovered in southwest England

The image released by the Natural History Museum shows a portion of a meteorite, possibly known as the Winchcombe meteorite, which is an extremely rare species. Photo: Kuratorium für Naturgeschichte / Natural History Museum / PA Media / dpa

(Photo: dpa)

According to scientists, this is the first time in 30 years that meteor fragments have been found in the United Kingdom.

A Gloucestershire resident found a pile of charred stones in his driveway, after which other citizens made finds similar to the size of the marble. Just over a week ago, according to the UK’s Fireball Alliance, hundreds of meteors lit the sky over England and beyond like a ball of fire.

Ashley King of the Natural History Museum in London told the BBC that the carbon-containing parts, called chondrites, are “the building blocks of our solar system”. Nothing like it has been found in Great Britain. Of the estimated 65,000 meteorite discoveries worldwide, only 1,200 eyewitnesses noticed the good during their fall – and of these, only about 50 are said to belong to rare carbon-containing chondrites.

Especially bright meteors are also called polydases. These are mostly rocks pushing through space at high speed. When it enters Earth’s atmosphere, it encounters resistance and is braked. This produces heat and light – this phenomenon can then be seen in the night sky.

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UK Fireball Alliance

BBC report