时间:2024-09-20 06:31:54 来源:网络整理编辑:探索
Lately, research scientist Maria Valdes has had to remind folks that size doesn't matter, but she un
Lately, research scientist Maria Valdes has had to remind folks that size doesn't matter, but she understands why the public is enthralled by her team's new space discovery.
On an Antarctic expedition in late December, she and three other scientists stumbled upon a 17-pound meteorite, heavier than most bowling balls and Halloween pumpkins. Only about one out of every 450 or so meteorites found on the frigid continent are this size or larger, according to an announcement by the Field Museum in Chicago where Valdes works.
Meteorites typically range between the size of a pebble and a fist, according to NASA.
"Even tiny micrometeorites can be incredibly scientifically valuable," Valdes said in a statement, "but of course, finding a big meteorite like this one is rare, and really exciting."
SEE ALSO:A meteorite punched a hole in a dog house. Now it's a collector's item.Tweet may have been deleted
Scientists estimate about 48.5 tons of billions-of-years-old meteor material rain down on the planet daily, much of which vaporizes in Earth's atmosphere or falls into the ocean, which covers over 70 percent of the planet.
"Finding a big meteorite like this one is rare, and really exciting."
More than 60,000 meteorites have been discovered on Earth. The vast majority come from asteroids, but a small sliver, about 0.2 percent, come from Mars or the moon, according to NASA. At least 175 have been identified as originating from the Red Planet.
The majority of space rocks are found in Antarctica because they're relatively easier to spot on the vast frozen plains. The dark lumps stand out against the snowy-white landscape, and even when meteorites sink into the ice, the glaciers churning beneath help to resurface the rocks on blue ice fields.
Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newslettertoday.
An international team of scientists scour an ice field in Antarctica for meteorites.Credit: Maria Valdes / Field MuseumBut the conditions for explorers can be brutal. The team spent days riding snowmobiles and trudging through ice, only to retreat into tents for the night. At least the trips weren't directionless, though: For the first time, this Antarctic meteorite-hunting team used satellite images as a treasure map to help identify potential new space rock sites.
Meteorites are divided into three main categories: the "irons," the "stonys," and the "stony-irons." Most meteorites that fall to Earth are stony, though the space rubble that scientists find long after landing are generally irons: they're heavier and easier to distinguish from everyday terrestrial rocks.
Ryoga Maeda, one of the researchers, said the rock likely came from the main asteroid belt and crashed into Antarctica tens of thousands of years ago. He called it an "ordinary chondrite," according to an announcement from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, meaning it's thought to be among the most common form of stony meteorite.
The meteorite will be studied at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.Credit: Maria Valdes / Field MuseumScientists will need to analyze the big rock, as well as four others found on the trip, in a lab before anything conclusive can be said about its type or origin. The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences will perform the studies.
The individual researchers also will take back sediment samples to their home institutions to see if they contain tiny meteorite debris.
"Studying meteorites helps us better understand our place in the universe," Valdes said in a statement. "The bigger a sample size we have of meteorites, the better we can understand our solar system, and the better we can understand ourselves."
TopicsNASA
5 people Tim Cook calls for advice on running the biggest company in the world2024-09-20 06:06
英媒:切爾西妖星被調查 開蘭博基尼撞車讓哥哥頂包2024-09-20 05:58
意甲球員身價:盧卡庫唯一過億 C羅第6世界第552024-09-20 05:46
西班牙國家隊新一期大名單:拉莫斯領銜 凱帕落選2024-09-20 05:17
Richard Branson 'thought he was going to die' in bike accident2024-09-20 04:59
呼蘭吐槽範誌毅“臉都不要了” 楊鳴調侃國足時間不多了2024-09-20 04:42
範誌毅吐槽男籃:我拿腳都能傳給別人 臉都不要了(GIF)2024-09-20 04:37
蘇寧仍想繼續扮演國米大股東 傾向吸引小額注資2024-09-20 04:10
This chart shows just how high Simone Biles can jump2024-09-20 03:58
廣州隊三年頂薪難留徐新 暴力鳥未歸中場押寶何人?2024-09-20 03:52
Samsung Galaxy Note7 teardown reveals the magic behind the phone's iris scanner2024-09-20 06:28
這就是隊長 ?馬奎爾又在場上痛斥隊友 曾怒吼遭回懟2024-09-20 06:28
又一個八連勝 !國米繼續領跑 兩神奇換人改變比賽2024-09-20 05:44
前裁判 :C羅犯規嚴重應吃到紅牌 VAR沒介入真糟糕2024-09-20 05:44
Is Samsung's Galaxy Note7 really the best phone?2024-09-20 05:29
紅星新聞:三大賽均落戶蘇州 僅中超就能帶動10億GDP2024-09-20 04:51
李昂告別江蘇:感謝栽培 有幸與兄弟們拿到兩個冠軍2024-09-20 04:13
國米前瞻:藍黑軍衝意甲8連勝 孔蒂避百場裏程悲2024-09-20 04:05
We asked linguists if Donald Trump speaks like that on purpose2024-09-20 03:53
呼蘭吐槽範誌毅“臉都不要了” 楊鳴調侃國足時間不多了2024-09-20 03:52