Tiny Bits Of Meteorite Particles Found In Antarctica

Estimated To Have Hit The Earth Around 430,000 Years Ago

United Kingdom, Apr 1: A team of scientists gathered unusual mineral particles from Walnumfjellet in the Sør Rondane Mountains of Antarctica. They realised that they were meteorite (a piece of rock or metal from space that landed on earth) particles made of several small stones, that were fused together with flecks of various materials on their surfaces. The minerals found in the meteorites were olivine (magnesium iron silicate) and iron, which were fused together by a small amount of glass and some amount of nickel. Their chemical composition analysis revealed that they were meteorite particles that vapourised before hitting the ground. The particles measured about 0.004 to 0.01 inches in diameter. Scientists suggest that these meteorites fell on Earth around 430,000 years ago. The size, shape, and density of the particles suggest that the meteorites, while descending to the ground, must have caused extreme destruction.