Meteorits
«I'd rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent radiance, than a permanent sleeping planet».
If you want to literally touch the sky, meteorites allow you to hold a piece of the sky in your hand and AstroXperiences allows you to make it happen.
Our knowledge of the Universe is based above all on the light and radiation that reaches us from the different objects that populate it.
But we have the possibility to touch a piece of the sky and directly examine the composition. It’s the meteorites.
For this reason, AstroXperiences offers you the possibility of obtaining these extraterrestrial objects of diverse origins.
Meteors and meteorites, when sky and earth meet
We don’t have to confuse meteorites with meteors. A meteor is the luminous trail that we see at night and is popularly known as a shooting star.
This occurs when solid particles from celestial objects, such as stars or asteroids, cross the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, causing friction and the disintegration, in most cases, of these bodies.
If the object survives its atmospheric path and hits the surface of our planet, then we have a meteorite.
It is estimated that hundreds of meteorites of various sizes arrive each year, of which only 5 or 6 are collected.
Types of meteorites
Traditionally, meteorites have been divided into 3 categories, despite the fact that other chemical and mineralogical composition criteria are currently established.
Formed mainly by silicates. Also known by aerolite or litite. It represents more than 90% of known meteorites.
Composed largely of iron, nickel, and other metals. Called siderite, it represents 6% of the meteorites, although due to its weight and density it represents almost 90% of the mass of the meteorites collected (about 500 tons).
With similar amounts of metallic and rocky material. Known for lithosiderites, they mean only 1.5% of meteorites.
Where do they come from
Most of the meteorites come from the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, and the oldest are remnants of the formation of the solar system.
But there are also meteorites that come from the Moon and even from the planet Mars, due to impacts of objects on the surface.
Where to look for them
Meteorites are easier to find in desert areas, since there is no vegetation and they are exposed to sight and eroding agents such as wind and water, which are scarce.
For example, the Sahara desert is the place in the world where more meteorites have been found.
They have also been discovered in Antarctica, since its surface is swept by strong winds, so that they often appear at the foot of mountains.
How to recognize them
Meteorites have a dark color and their crust, due to fusion during the atmospheric fall, is thin.
They are stone with flat faces and rounded edges, often showing small metallic granules inside.
In general, they are heavier than the surrounding terrestrial rocks.
All these characteristics do not ensure that the stone is a meteorite. It has to be analyzed in a specialized laboratory to confirm the extraterrestrial origin.
Curiosities about meteorites
Meteorites not only close the answer to many questions we ask ourselves about the universe, they also have very interesting curiosities, like these.
Historical iron
Meteoric iron was already used before the start of the Iron Age to make tools and weapons.
For example, an iron dagger, a bracelet and a headrest from the tomb of Tutankhamun (1830 BC), have their origins in meteorites.
The Hoba Meteorite
It is the largest and heaviest in the world (66 tons), it is also the largest piece of natural iron discovered.
It is located in the northeast of Namibia and is made up of iron and nickel. It was declared a National Monument in 1955 and can be visited, since it is located exactly where it was discovered.
Ann Hodges
It is the only known person in history to be strike by a meteorite.
One afternoon in 1954 in Sylacauga, Alabama, Ann was asleep on the couch, covered with a duvet, when a 12-inch chunk of black rock passed through the ceiling, ricocheted off a radio, and strike her on the hip, leaving her with a huge bruise.
The meteorite is on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.
ALH 84001
It is a Martian meteorite found in Antarctica. Analysis and microscopic studies showed structures resembling microbial fossils, suggesting possible single-celled life on Mars millions of years ago.
Later studies from the University of California refuted this possibility by testing for contamination of the Antarctic ice around the meteorite.
The controversy is still open.
Meteorites
They allow us to literally touch the sky and Astroxperiences allows us to get a real extraterrestrial object.
