meteorites, new discoveries, water resources

Scientists Study Meteorites to Explore How Earth Acquired Its Water

Each year, hundreds of meteorites — rocky bodies left over from the formation of the solar system — bombard Earth, delivering minerals, metals, and water to our planet. Analyzing the crevices and mineral-rich deposits inside meteorites not only reveals the early history of planet formation, but may provide clues about how the young Earth acquired ...

Troy Oakes

The cross-section of a small meteorite.

Skystone: Fascinating Alien Stones That Fall to Earth

Over billions of years, our planet has attracted a large number of meteorites that have crashed on the surface. People have collected pieces of such meteorites throughout history, with some attributing a divine nature to them, while others collect them purely out of scientific curiosity. The Skystone and Hypatia stone are two such stones.

Believe It Or Not

Organic Molecules in Martian Meteorite Not Biological in Origin

Organic molecules found in a Martian meteorite that hurtled to Earth from Mars were synthesized during interactions between water and rocks that occurred on the Red Planet about 4 billion years ago, according to a new analysis led by Carnegie’s Andrew Steele and published by Science.   The meteorite, called Allan Hills (ALH) 84001, was discovered ...

Troy Oakes

Body in space glowing as it heads through Earth's atmosphere.

Rare Meteorite Could Hold Secrets to Life on Earth

Scientists are set to uncover the secrets of a rare meteorite and possibly the origins of oceans and life on Earth, thanks to Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funding. Research carried out on the meteorite, which fell in the UK earlier this year, suggests that the space rock dates back to the beginning of ...

Troy Oakes

A meteor heading to Earth.

Skystone: The Fascinating Alien Stones That Fall on Earth

Over billions of years, our planet has attracted a large number of meteorites that have crashed on the surface. People have collected pieces of such meteorites throughout history, with some attributing a divine nature to them, while others collect them purely out of scientific curiosity. The Skystone is believed to be one such remnant from ...

Jessica Kneipp

The blue meteorite known as Skystone.

Asteroid That Hit Botswana in 2018 Likely Came From Vesta

An international team of researchers searched for pieces of a small asteroid tracked in space and then observed to impact Botswana on June 2, 2018. Guided by SETI Institute meteor astronomer Peter Jenniskens, they found 23 meteorites deep inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and now have published their findings online in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary ...

Troy Oakes

An asteroid heading to Earth.

New Study Proves That Lake Mien Was Created by a Meteorite Impact

Volcano or meteorite? During the last 100 years, two different theories have been put forward to explain the origin of Lake Mien. But in a new study, researchers from Lund University can finally establish that the Småland lake was formed by a giant celestial body. For a long time, it was thought that the circular Lake Mien ...

Troy Oakes

A large meteor headed toward Earth.

Rare Meteorite Recovered in UK After Spectacular Fireball

In a major event for UK science, the meteorite that fell from the fireball that lit up the sky over the UK and Northern Europe on Sunday, February 28, has been found. Almost 300 g of a very rare meteorite, known as a carbonaceous chondrite, survived its fiery passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and landed ...

Troy Oakes

A meteor heading to Earth.

Desert Fireball Network Scientists Find 2 Meteorites in 2 Weeks

Curtin University researchers have discovered two meteorites in a two-week period on the Nullarbor Plain — one freshly fallen and the other from November 2019. Both falls were captured by The Desert Fireball Network (DFN) team, which uses cameras across Australia to observe shooting stars and predict where meteorites will land. The team, which usually ...

Troy Oakes

Meteor burning in Earth's atmosphere.

Texas Cave Sediment Upends Meteorite Explanation for Global Cooling

Researchers say global cooling 13,000 years ago is coincident with major volcanic eruptions. Texas researchers from the University of Houston, Baylor University, and Texas A&M University have discovered evidence for why the Earth cooled dramatically 13,000 years ago, dropping temperatures by about 3°C. The evidence is buried in a Central Texas cave, where horizons of sediment ...

Troy Oakes

Scientists at Hall's cave.