Newfound meteorite could help unlock secrets of the solar system
The incredibly rare space rock recovered in the U.K. could help scientists answer questions about how Earth got its water and maybe even how life here got started.
ByRobin George Andrews
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On the night of February 28, a rocky shard fell from the sky and lit up the atmosphere above England. The impressive fireball was caught by an international network of meteorite-tracking cameras, and scientists were dispatched to the sleepy town of Winchcombe. A chunk of the meteorite was found on a driveway, while another was discovered in a field full of sheep droppings.
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BBC News
image captionThe Winchcombe fragments total in excess of 300g
Several rocky fragments have been recovered from the fireball that lit up the sky above southern England just over a week ago.
They came down in the Winchcombe area of Gloucestershire.
A householder first alerted experts after noticing a pile of charred stone on his driveway. Other members of the public have since come forward with their own finds.
It s 30 years since meteorite material was last retrieved in the UK.
Researchers are particularly thrilled because of the rarity of the rock type.
image copyright©Rob Wilcock (Reproduced by permission)