Wilfried Labusch has found a meteorite about the size of a tennis ball in his driveway in Elmshorn. © Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa
The first analysis is here and shows where the meteorite that crashed into a house in Elmshorn in April comes from. Researchers hope to gain further insights into the early solar system.
Münster – When a meteorite struck a house in Elmshorn (Schleswig-Holstein) on 25 April, the surprise was great, because meteorite impacts are extremely rare. Experts have now examined the boulder from space and published the first results. The meteorite therefore belongs to the group of ordinary chondrites of type H - a group of meteorites that has a particularly high metal content. This is reported by the University of Münster, where one of the meteorites found was analyzed.
Accordingly, the scientists can confirm that it is indeed a meteorite. The stone from space dates back to the early days of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago and, according to the researchers, has an intense brecciation – the stone consists of various components, such as very original and at the same time highly heated material.
| Definition: | |
|---|---|
| Meteorite | Stone from outer space that has fallen through the Earth's atmosphere and is found on Earth. |
| Meteor | Luminous phenomenon when a stone from outer space burns up in the earth's atmosphere. |
| Meteoroid | Celestial body, smaller than an asteroid, flying through the solar system. |
Elmshorn meteorite comes from the early solar system
"The brecciation of the meteorite was caused by previous collisions in the early solar system and in the asteroid belt," explains Markus Patzek from the Institute of Planetology at the University of Münster in a press release, adding: "In other words, the parent body of the Elmshorn meteorite collided with other asteroids there, giving us insights into the history of this celestial body."
To study the meteorite, the scientists sawed up a piece of meteorite weighing about 40 grams and created several so-called thin sections, 30 micrometers thick slices of rock. These could then be further investigated using optical and electron microscopy. Part of the meteorite was also processed into a fine powder, which was sent to participating institutes in Europe for further chemical and isotopic analysis. Another find of the meteorite is currently being examined for short-lived radionuclides using highly sensitive gamma spectrometry.
Meteorite from Elmshorn to be further investigated
In the coming weeks, further investigations of the meteorite from Elmshorn will follow, in which institutes from Germany, Europe and Switzerland are involved, according to a statement from the University of Münster. The scientists want to find out whether the meteorite provides further insights into collision and formation processes in the early solar system. (tab)