To many, it might just look like a piece of gravel, but this rock has an extraordinary tale to tell.
It is in fact a piece of a meteorite, which has been floating around in space for more than four billion years.
It fell to Earth in spectacular fashion in February, crash landing in the Cotswolds and sparking a frantic search effort.
After being found in a sheep field, the lump was donated to the museum by its discoverers, despite being estimated by external experts to be worth a whopping £100,000.
It is now on display at the Natural History Museum, which will reopen to the public on Monday 17 May.
Written by KatherineBlance
The topic of penguins suggests frigid weather, but Dr. Daniel T. Ksepka, Curator of Science at the Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT, studies the beloved penguin all year ‘round. Join him for a fascinating look at the evolution of the penguin when New Canaan Library presents the live webinar “March of the Fossil Penguin” on Tuesday, May 25 at 7 PM EST. Please register at newcanaanlibrary.org; Zoom sign in information will be provided upon registration.
Penguins have a fossil record that extends 61 million years, and fossil discoveries throughout the southern hemisphere have revealed new species, including giant penguins and spear-billed penguins. Dr. Ksepka ‘s exciting lecture will explore the fossil record of penguins and the processes employed to examine their evolution, including CT scanning and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analysis.