Meteorites from the sky fireball “may have fallen near Cheltenham” UK News

It is believed that the yellow-green fireball that passed through Earth’s atmosphere Sunday night, which delighted UK observers in the Netherlands, partially survived the meteorite-shaped journey, probably landing in the north. of Cheltenham.

Fireballs are particularly bright meteors: space matter that burns when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. What is left of it when it reaches the Earth’s surface is known as a meteorite. They are of particular interest to scientists as they can provide crucial clues about the history of the solar system.

Richard Kacerek, founder of the UK meteorite network, a group of amateur astronomers who have been using cameras to record observations across the UK since 2012, said computer modeling suggested the likely site of the impact of the meteorite would be found just north of the town of Gloucestershire.

Approximately 50 tons of extraterrestrial material enters the Earth’s atmosphere each year, mostly in the form of sand-sized particles called space dust. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that about 20 meteorites (barely the size of sugar cubes) land each year. The last meteorite to be recovered was in 1991 in the village of Glatton, near Peterborough.

Brighter fireballs have been seen in the past, Kacerek said. “What makes this fireball really special is that we believe something has survived.”

Ashley King, of the Natural History Museum in London, said in a statement: “Video recordings tell us that its speed was around 30,000 mph, which is too fast for it to be a ‘space junk’ of human creation, so it is not an ancient rocket or satellite thing.

“The videos also allowed us to reconstruct its original orbit around the sun. In this case, the orbit was like the asteroid. This particular piece of asteroid passed most of its orbit between Mars and Jupiter, although it sometimes came closer to the sun than Earth.

Based on their predictions from images from several cameras specializing in fireballs, observers concluded that dark-colored fragmented pieces of stone smaller than a golf ball would be found, Kacerek said, adding that it was clear to which comet the meteor belonged.

“We have already received some emails from people in the area saying they found something interesting,” he added, noting that scientists at the Natural History Museum had yet to verify those observations.

The scientists said that if people come across meteorite pieces, they should first photograph it on the spot and observe its location using the phone’s GPS, but avoid touching it directly. Meteorites are usually rich in iron, but the use of a magnet can damage the sample; Kacerek suggested picking it up with a clean plastic bag.

The UK public should remember that the blockade was still in place and that people should not break the restrictions for searching for meteorites, he warned.

One of the main attractions of meteorite testing is a theory called panspermia: that the chemistry of life exists in space.

Astronomical research has found the basics of life in the atmospheres of distant planets and interstellar clouds, and even more complicated compounds in meteorites. Given that life on Earth began at least 3.8 billion years ago and the leap from organic chemistry to self-replicating organisms is so vast, some astronomers propose that life could have been delivered by a comet. passenger.

“It’s definitely a theory, but I think it’s a very likely theory,” Kacerek said. “It simply came to our notice then [the meteor from Sunday] yet. But without a doubt … setting up a meteorite chamber, recording the meteorite and then going to collect it will help answer these questions. “

On Sunday night, Kacerek’s three cameras did not detect the fireball. “But when I saw the pictures, I said,‘ Holy … ’I knew what I meant,’ he said. “Because it meant … that I had to get up at 6 o’clock and talk to the media all day.”