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Museum’s post on rare meteorite older than Earth astonishes people
A researcher at the Natural History Museum who studies meteorites said that this type of "meteorite is incredibly rare but holds important clues about our origins."
A post shared on the official Instagram account of Natural History Museum about an astonishingly rare meteorite which formed “four billion years ago when the Sun was still yet new,” has now wowed people. Recovered in the UK, scientists believe this little piece of black rock, which is older than the Earth itself, can help them figure out “not only where most water came from, but also the building blocks of life itself.”
The museum also shared a blog link which explains about the meteorite in detail. Their post is complete with an image of the gorgeous looking rock.
The blog explains that on February 28 the residents of a house in Winchcombe heard a rattling sound but as it was night they didn’t immediately discover the rock’s existence. It’s only in the morning that they came face to face with the fascinating object from the outer space. Unsure what to do, they called UK Meteor Observation Network who informed the museum.
“For somebody who didn't really have an idea what it actually was, the finder did a fantastic job in collecting it. He bagged most of it up really quickly on Monday morning, perhaps less than 12 hours after the actual event. He then kept finding bits in his garden over the next few days,” said Dr Ashley King, a researcher at the Museum who studies meteorites, cites the blog.
“It looks a bit like coal. It is really black, but it is much softer and is really quite fragile. It is exciting for us because this type of meteorite is incredibly rare but hold important clues about our origins,” King added.
Take a look at the post:
Since being shared some 20 hours ago, the post has gathered tons of comments from people.
“To be able to see what that little rock saw on its journey would be beyond amazing,” wrote an Instagram user. “Incredible,” expressed another. “Mind blowing,” said a third.
What are your thoughts on this incredible find?
