Mysterious asteroid the size of a dwarf planet is lurking in our solar system
By Rafi Letzter 8 hours ago
Where did this strange meteorite come from?
This false-color microscope image of a meteorite sample collected in Sudan shows
amphibole crystals, a unique feature, highlighted in orange.
(Image: © Courtesy of NASA/USRA/Lunar and Planetary Institute )
There's a giant asteroid somewhere out in the solar system, and it hurled a big rock at Earth.
The evidence for this mystery space rock comes from a diamond-studded meteor that exploded over Sudan in 2008.
NASA had spotted the 9-ton (8,200 kilograms), 13-foot (4 meters) meteor heading toward the planet well before impact, and researchers showed up in the Sudanese desert to collect an unusually rich haul of remains. Now, a new study of one of those meteorites suggests that the meteor may have broken off of a giant asteroid — one more or less the size of the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt.
Like about 4.6% of meteorites on Earth, this one — known as Almahata Sitta (AhS) — is made of a material known as carbonaceous chondrite. These black rocks contain organic compounds as well as a variety of minerals and water.
More:
https://www.space.com/mysterious-giant-asteroid-evidence
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