Falling meteorite in Germany turned out to be a "mini-planet"

Falling meteorite in Germany turned out to be a "mini-planet"
Falling meteorite in Germany turned out to be a "mini-planet"
Anonim

Scientists at the University of Münster in Germany have identified a celestial body that fell near the town of Flensburg in September 2019. It turned out that this is not just a meteorite, but the "embryo" of the planet - a planetesimal, according to The University of Muenster.

The space "guest" was discovered by a local resident in his garden. The weight of the fragment, covered with a black melted crust, was only 24.7 grams.

The find was studied by representatives of a dozen universities and research centers. Analyzes have shown that the rock contains minerals, including silicates and carbonates.

It is known that such substances arose at the very beginning of the history of the solar system on small protoplanets, where water was also present. Many scientists believe that it was planetesimals that once brought moisture to our Earth.

The authors of the study said that this is the first case of the fall of such a cosmic body in Germany. Its age may be 4.56 billion years and even more - that is, it is "the same age" as the Earth. In the past, it did contain liquid water, which confirms the theory of moisture-laden planetesimals.

Scientists intend to continue studying the object. In their opinion, he may reveal unknown details of the history of the formation of planets in the solar system.

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