A stretch of road where an ‘extremely rare’ meteorite crashed worth £ 100,000 will be on display at the Natural History Museum along with the space rock.
The meteorite fell to Earth in a ball of fire seen from across the UK, followed by doorbell cameras, which finally landed in the town of Winchcombe, Cotswold, in February.
This was the first time a meteorite had landed and recovered in the UK in over 30 years, with parts spread across Gloucestershire, included in one entry.
This piece was donated to the Museum of Natural History, which says it is an unusual type of CM2 carbonate chondrite space rock with organic chemicals.
Hannah Wilcock, 25, and her parents Rob and Cathryn were surprised to learn that the “coal lumps” leading to the Cotswolds were a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite.
He left a residue and this piece of asphalt where he landed has been removed from the road and can also be seen at the Natural History Museum in London.
Hannah Wilcock, 25, and her parents Rob and Cathryn were surprised to learn that the “coal lumps” leading to the Cotswolds were a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite.
The meteorite fell to Earth in a ball of fire seen from across the UK, followed by doorbell cameras, which finally landed in the town of Winchcombe, Cotswold, in February.
The meteorite receded shortly after landing, as scientists wanted to study it in more detail, but the unit’s ‘mini-crater’ also had a fascination.
This section has been protected for the past six months by a wooden board and a car was placed on top when the weather was bad earlier this year.
The Natural History Museum already shows fragments of the meteorite, but believes the asphalt will improve the attraction.
A local construction company was used to remove the section of roadway by cutting around the crater and wrapping the asphalt with board and steel and using cats to push a 10-square-foot slice onto a pallet.
The owner of the property, Cathryn Wilcock, told the BBC: “It’s like one of my cakes, hoping it will come out of the one-piece can,” when they were halfway there.
Rob Wilcock added: “I’m satisfied with a way it works, but I’m also a little nostalgic because we’ve gotten used to it being there.
“It’s something that has changed our lives and put us in touch with a lot of really interesting people. And of course it has really put Winchcombe on the map. It’s one of the most significant things that has ever happened in this city.”
Although there is now a large hole in the roadway, the family has no plans to replace only the asphalt and instead have commissioned a plate to go there.
The rock is a “Mighei-like” meteorite, linked to a type found in Ukraine in the late 19th century, which is among the oldest and most primitive available to study.
Natural History Museum researcher Dr. Ashley King said they formed just at the beginning of the solar system and are “like time capsules.”
“They tell us about the basics of our solar system,” Dr King told the BBC World Service’s Science In Action program.
“Obviously, we weren’t there 4.6 billion years ago, and these meteorites are a way to really see what kind of materials were there and how these materials began to come together to make the planets.”
The meteorite was removed shortly after landing, as scientists wanted to study it in more detail, but the unit’s “mini-crater” also had a fascination.
This piece was donated by the Museum of Natural History, which says it is an unusual type of CM2 carbonate chondrite space rock with organic chemicals.
They were never found in the UK, they often contain organic compounds, which provide clues about the basics of life in space and what planets they are made of.
Astronomers say the meteorite plunged into Earth’s orbit at about 31,000 mph (40 times the speed of sound) before burning and breaking into smaller chunks dramatically.
But unlike most shooting stars, this meteorite was large enough for some pieces to survive at the entrance to the atmosphere when it crossed Gloucestershire at 21:54 on 28 February.
Although there is now a large hole in the roadway, the family has no plans to replace just the asphalt and instead have ordered a plate to go to the site.
Rob Wilcock added: “I’m happy with the way it works, but I’m also a little nostalgic because we’ve gotten used to it being there.”
Little survived the dramatic accidental landing, leaving a few pounds of material falling to Earth at Winchcombe.
All the pieces of meteorite material found in the city have now been moved to the Natural History Museum and researchers say they could give an idea of how life began on Earth.
They contain evidence of water in the atomic signatures of the rock, which may be similar to the water found on Earth. Additional evidence is needed to confirm this.
Sara Russell, a meteorite researcher at the Natural History Museum, described the discovery of the meteorite as a “unique event in life.”