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On April 23, Rocky was preparing to take a nap in his niche in Costa Rica when a strange meteorite crashed through the roof and punctured the structure. Fortunately, the dog has not suffered any injuries and now scientists are analyzing why this random space rock has made an appearance at this specific place.
However, this mysterious discovery can not be reduced to nothing: the small meteorite that crossed the Rocky niche is in fact one of the many meteorites that fell on Aguas Zarcas, a small town in Costa Rica, reported Space .com.
Mike Farmer, who donated samples of the mysterious meteorite to Arizona State University, stands next to Rocky. (Photo credit: Michael Farmer)
On that day, around 9:09 pm, residents noticed a large "fireball" in the sky, and the fireball reported, a meteor estimated to be about the size of a washing machine, entered the atmosphere of the Earth, tore apart and rained hundreds of people. of meteorites around Aguas Zarcas, says a press release from Arizona State University. Unlike other meteorite falls on our planet, this meteorite is part of a special group called "carbonaceous chondrites" because it contains organic compounds and is filled with water.
"He trained in a lifeless environment, then was preserved in the cold and emptiness of space for 4.56 billion years, and then was dropped in Costa Rica the week last, "said Laurence Garvie, curator at the Meteorite Studies Center at the University of Arizona State. in the press release. "Nature said," you are here, "and now we must be smart enough to distinguish individual components and understand what they tell us."
Meteorite shaped strange arrowhead from Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica. (Photo credit: Michael Farmer)
Garvie and his team are currently studying 55 pounds of meteorite fragments that were collected within five days of the mysterious incident. Because of their fragile texture, the team had to store them in nitrogen cabinets to prevent them from degrading due to exposure to the air.
The Aguas Zarcas meteorite is considered a "carbonaceous chondrite" and a "mudball" because it contains between 80% and 95% clay and that water is important for its structure, according to Garvie. The next step will be to have the meteorites approved, classified and named by the nomenclature committee of the Meteoritical Society.
"Carbonaceous chondrites are relatively rare among meteorites, but they are among the most sought-after by researchers because they contain the best-preserved clues about the origin of the solar system," said Meenakshi Wadhwa, director of the Center for Solar Energy. 39, ASU meteorite studies, at the ASU. the press release. "This new meteorite represents one of the most important scientific additions to our wonderful collection in recent years."
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