'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in 2018 reveals its secrets

from
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/27/world...rnd/index.html

'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in 2018 reveals its secrets
Ashley Strickland-Profile-Image
By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1:52 PM ET, Tue October 27, 2020
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky 00:56

(CNN)A 12-million-year-old meteorite that fell to Earth in January 2018
is covered in more than 2,600 organic compounds, according to new
research. Meteorites such as this one likely acted as messengers early
in Earth's history, delivering the building blocks of life, the
researchers said.

A fireball meteor was seen streaking across the sky over the Midwest and
Ontario on the evening of January 16, 2018. Weather data helped
scientists quickly track where the pieces of the meteor fell to Earth so
they could collect them before the samples from space were contaminated
too much by Earth.

Flash of light in Michigan is likely a meteor, says National Weather Service

"Weather radar is meant to detect hail and rain," said lead study author
Philipp Heck, curator at the Field Museum in Chicago and associate
professor at the University of Chicago, in a statement. "These pieces of
meteorite fell into that size range, and so weather radar helped show
the position and velocity of the meteorite. That meant that we were able
to find it very quickly."
Elements on Earth, including liquid water, can change the chemical
makeup of a meteorite before it's even collected.

But the Hamburg meteorite -- collected less than two days after it fell
to Earth -- is a prime example of a largely unaltered meteorite.
Meteorite hunter Robert Ward found the first piece of the meteorite
sitting on the frozen surface of Strawberry Lake, which is near Hamburg,
Michigan. Ward and private collector Terry Boudreaux donated the
meteorite to the Field Museum so it could be studied.

Meteorite hunter Robert Ward is pictured with the meteorite on
Strawberry Lake near Hamburg, Michigan.

"This meteorite is special because it fell onto a frozen lake and was
recovered quickly. It was very pristine. We could see the minerals
weren't much altered and later found that it contained a rich inventory
of extraterrestrial organic compounds," Heck said. "These kinds of
organic compounds were likely delivered to the early Earth by meteorites
and might have contributed to the ingredients of life."
The study published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science on
Tuesday.

"When the meteorite arrived at the Field, I spent the entire weekend
analyzing it, because I was so excited to find out what kind of
meteorite it was and what was in it," said Jennika Greer, study coauthor
and a doctoral student at the Field and the University of Chicago, in a
statement.

"With every meteorite that falls, there's a chance that there's
something completely new and totally unexpected."
Here's what they learned.

Souvenir from space
The Hamburg meteorite is largely pristine because it was collected so
quickly after falling to Earth. This means the meteorite didn't sit
still long enough to become weathered, for its metals to begin rusting,
for water to seep in through cracks and contaminate it or for its
minerals (like olivine) to be altered.

This quick recovery of the meteorite makes it "remarkable," Heck told
CNN in an email. And the buzz around the meteorite led it to be well
studied and analyzed by researchers at 24 different institutions.
Scientists believe the Hamburg meteorite was ejected from its parent
asteroid about 12 million years ago, traveling through space until it
landed on Earth. An analysis of the meteorite revealed that the rock had
been exposed to cosmic rays while zipping through space for 12 million
years.

The meteorite fragment that fell on Strawberry Lake includes pristine
organic compounds.

The meteorite came from an asteroid that formed 4.5 billion years ago,
only about 20 million years after the formation of our solar system,
Heck said.
The 2,600 different organic compounds that cover the Hamburg meteorite
were formed in its parent asteroid.
It's what is known as an H4 chondrite, a type of meteorite that isn't
known to be rich in organics.
"This meteorite shows a high diversity of organics, in that if somebody
was interested in studying organics, this is not normally the type of
meteorite that they would ask to look at," Greer said. "But because
there was so much excitement surrounding it, everybody wanted to apply
their own technique to it, so we have an unusually comprehensive set of
data for a single meteorite."

Typically, carbonaceous chondrites are a thousand times richer in
organics than H4 chondrites, Heck said. Near-Earth asteroid Bennu, which
was recently sampled by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, is rich in carbon.
"The fact that this ordinary chondrite meteorite was rich in organics
provides support of the hypothesis that meteorites played an important
role in delivering organic compounds to early Earth," Heck said.
"Meteorites fell to our planet throughout Earth's history also before
life formed and possibly delivered some of the building blocks for life
onto Earth."
The organic matter in the meteorite was originally once heated to up to
1,200 degrees Fahrenheit while it was still part of its parent asteroid.
This actually reduced the diversity of the organic compounds in the
meteorite from millions to a couple thousand. But Heck was still stunned
by how many organic compounds were still in the meteorite despite the
heat-induced changes it experienced.

The researchers found hydrocarbons, as well as compounds containing
sulfur and nitrogen.
"Much more work needs to be done to better understand the individual
chemical pathways of the different compounds and the different processes
that the organic matter went through," Heck said.
The Hamburg meteorite can be compared with other samples collected in
the future -- including the pristine samples being returned from
asteroids by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 mission
and NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. The first sample from the asteroid Ryugu
will be delivered to Earth by Hayabusa2 in December, while the sample
from Bennu will return in 2023.
"But we also keep looking out for new meteorite falls," Heck said.
"Every meteorite that falls to Earth is worth studying, as it may
provide a unique perspective onto the solar system and may shed new
light on its history and our origins."

a425couple wrote on 28/10/20 06:59:
from
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/27/world...rnd/index.html


'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in 2018 reveals its secrets
Ashley Strickland-Profile-Image
By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1:52 PM ET, Tue October 27, 2020
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky 00:56

(CNN)A 12-million-year-old meteorite that fell to Earth in January 2018
is covered in more than 2,600 organic compounds, according to new
research. Meteorites such as this one likely acted as messengers early
in Earth's history, delivering the building blocks of life, the
researchers said.

Only 12 million years old!! Were they chips off chips off some bigger
object??
--
Daniel

On 10/28/2020 12:18 AM, Daniel65 wrote:
a425couple wrote on 28/10/20 06:59:
from
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/27/world...rnd/index.html


'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in 2018 reveals its secrets
Ashley Strickland-Profile-Image
By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1:52 PM ET, Tue October 27, 2020
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky 00:56

(CNN)A 12-million-year-old meteorite that fell to Earth in January
2018 is covered in more than 2,600 organic compounds, according to new
research. Meteorites such as this one likely acted as messengers early
in Earth's history, delivering the building blocks of life, the
researchers said.

Only 12 million years old!! Were they chips off chips off some bigger
object??

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...f-solar-system

The Hamburg meteorite fall: Fireball trajectory, orbit, and ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › abs › maps
Aug 11, 2019 — The Hamburg (H4) meteorite fell on 17 January 2018 at
01:08 UT approximately 10 km north of Ann Arbor, Michigan. More than two
dozen ...
by PG Brown · ‎2019 · ‎Cited by 3 · ‎Related articles

Michigan fireball meteorite fragments could shed light on ...
www.theguardian.com › us-news › oct › michigan-fire...
19 hours ago — A fireball that struck near Hamburg, Michigan, in 2018
could offer new insights into the history of the solar system,
researchers have said.

Meteorite hunter finds 3 rocks in Hamburg Township
www.freep.com › news › local › michigan › 2018/01/18
Jan 18, 2018 — NASA scientists say the meteor broke up about 20 miles
over Earth and showered most of its fragments along a 2½-mile swath in
Hamburg ...

NASA: Meteorites probably near Hamburg Township
www.freep.com › news › local › michigan › 2018/01/17
Jan 17, 2018 — Meteorites, perhaps 1-2 ounces in size, are likely spread
over a 2½-mile west of the hamlet of Hamburg in Hamburg Township, said
Bill Cooke, ...

Meteorite Falls | Hamburg, Michigan - ARES
ares.jsc.nasa.gov › meteorite-falls › events › hamburg-...
Jan 17, 2018 — SUMMARY. This meteorite fall occurred at 8:08 PM local
time on 16 January 2018, or 17 Jan 2018 0108 UTC. Residents of Detroit,
MI and ...

Meteoritical Bulletin: Entry for Hamburg
www.lpi.usra.edu › meteor › metbull
Hamburg 42°26.82'N, 83°50.5'W ... The meteorite appears very weakly
shocked. ... This is 1 of 12 approved meteorites from Michigan, United
States (plus 1 ...


from the guardian citation:
"Now Heck and colleagues have released an in-depth report examining
three of the meteorite pieces housed at the Field museum.

The results reveal that the space rock is of a type known as an H4
chondrite – a relatively rare subtype of a class of meteorites common in
collections.

“[These] are only 4% of all the falls today,� said Heck.

Heck added that initial analysis of the space rock revealed that the
meteorite contained 2,600 different organic compounds. While an even
greater array have been found in other meteorites, Heck said the
findings add weight to the much-mooted idea that meteorites might have
played a role in kickstarting life on Earth. ---

“We found [this meteorite] was ejected 12m years ago from its parent
asteroid� said Heck, noting this is the first evidence of that
particular event.

And analysis of levels of argon in the meteorite, produced by
radioactive decay, shed light on the history of asteroid itself, with
Heck noting the element is released when impacts occur. “We found
nothing else happened since the [parent asteroid] formed 4.5bn years
ago,� said Heck. “It was pretty much dull on that asteroid.� --

“By looking at the minerals and age and chemistry of [meteorites] we can
look back in time to understand how its parent asteroid body relates to
other asteroids and small bodies we know formed at the same time within
the first few million years after the sun formed,� she said.

(So they are claiming this asteroid was formed 4.5 B years ago,
about same time the rest of our solar system, and sun was.)

a425couple wrote on 29/10/20 00:39:
On 10/28/2020 12:18 AM, Daniel65 wrote:
a425couple wrote on 28/10/20 06:59:
from
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/27/world...rnd/index.html


'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in 2018 reveals its secrets
Ashley Strickland-Profile-Image
By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1:52 PM ET, Tue October 27, 2020
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky
Watch bright flash light up Michigan sky 00:56

(CNN)A 12-million-year-old meteorite that fell to Earth in January
2018 is covered in more than 2,600 organic compounds, according to
new research. Meteorites such as this one likely acted as messengers
early in Earth's history, delivering the building blocks of life, the
researchers said.

Only 12 million years old!! Were they chips off chips off some bigger
object??

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...f-solar-system


The Hamburg meteorite fall: Fireball trajectory, orbit, and ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › abs › maps
Aug 11, 2019 — The Hamburg (H4) meteorite fell on 17 January 2018 at
01:08 UT approximately 10 km north of Ann Arbor, Michigan. More than two
dozen ...
by PG Brown · ‎2019 · ‎Cited by 3 · ‎Related articles

Michigan fireball meteorite fragments could shed light on ...
www.theguardian.com › us-news › oct › michigan-fire...
19 hours ago — A fireball that struck near Hamburg, Michigan, in 2018
could offer new insights into the history of the solar system,
researchers have said.

Meteorite hunter finds 3 rocks in Hamburg Township
www.freep.com › news › local › michigan › 2018/01/18
Jan 18, 2018 — NASA scientists say the meteor broke up about 20 miles
over Earth and showered most of its fragments along a 2½-mile swath in
Hamburg ...

NASA: Meteorites probably near Hamburg Township
www.freep.com › news › local › michigan › 2018/01/17
Jan 17, 2018 — Meteorites, perhaps 1-2 ounces in size, are likely spread
over a 2½-mile west of the hamlet of Hamburg in Hamburg Township, said
Bill Cooke, ...

Meteorite Falls | Hamburg, Michigan - ARES
ares.jsc.nasa.gov › meteorite-falls › events › hamburg-...
Jan 17, 2018 — SUMMARY. This meteorite fall occurred at 8:08 PM local
time on 16 January 2018, or 17 Jan 2018 0108 UTC. Residents of Detroit,
MI and ...

Meteoritical Bulletin: Entry for Hamburg
www.lpi.usra.edu › meteor › metbull
Hamburg 42°26.82'N, 83°50.5'W ... The meteorite appears very weakly
shocked. ... This is 1 of 12 approved meteorites from Michigan, United
States (plus 1 ...


from the guardian citation:
"Now Heck and colleagues have released an in-depth report examining
three of the meteorite pieces housed at the Field museum.

The results reveal that the space rock is of a type known as an H4
chondrite – a relatively rare subtype of a class of meteorites common in
collections.

“[These] are only 4% of all the falls today,� said Heck.

Heck added that initial analysis of the space rock revealed that the
meteorite contained 2,600 different organic compounds. While an even
greater array have been found in other meteorites, Heck said the
findings add weight to the much-mooted idea that meteorites might have
played a role in kickstarting life on Earth. ---

“We found [this meteorite] was ejected 12m years ago from its parent
asteroid� said Heck, noting this is the first evidence of that
particular event.

And analysis of levels of argon in the meteorite, produced by
radioactive decay, shed light on the history of asteroid itself, with
Heck noting the element is released when impacts occur. “We found
nothing else happened since the [parent asteroid] formed 4.5bn years
ago,� said Heck. “It was pretty much dull on that asteroid.� --

“By looking at the minerals and age and chemistry of [meteorites] we can
look back in time to understand how its parent asteroid body relates to
other asteroids and small bodies we know formed at the same time within
the first few million years after the sun formed,� she said.

(So they are claiming this asteroid was formed 4.5 B years ago,
about same time the rest of our solar system, and sun was.)

So formed 4.5 billion years ago, then chipped off the parent rock 12
million years ago as previously mentioned.
--
Daniel