▲ One of the meteorites that fell near Berlin, Germany. Photo = Laura Kranich
On the 21st of last month (local time), a meteorite left behind by an asteroid that fell and exploded on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany was collected. On the 5th, the SETI Institute, a private scientific organization, announced that after analyzing a meteorite collected near Berlin, it was confirmed to be a rare meteorite called ‘Aubrite’.
Previously, in the early morning of the 21st of last month, an ultra-small asteroid with a diameter of 1 meter entered the Earth’s atmosphere and fell as a meteor while passing over eastern Germany, brightening the local night sky. Officially named ‘2024 BX 1’ by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), this asteroid was surprisingly first discovered by astronomer Christian Sarnetsky at Hungary’s Piskestø Observatory just hours before falling to Earth. And NASA also confirmed 2024 BX 1 just 90 minutes before it fell to Earth and announced this on social media.
▲ The 2024 BX 1 falling, filmed by German locals.
In fact, 2024 BX 1 fell almost vertically and disappeared with bright sparks, causing no damage. This is the eighth time that an asteroid has been discovered just before it collided with Earth.
The meteorites discovered this time are the remains of 2024 BX 1 as it passed through the Earth’s atmosphere, and several were discovered in a field in the village of Riebeck, about 80 km northwest of Berlin. Peter Zenisken, a SETI meteor scientist who discovered the meteorite with students from the Free University of Berlin, said, “I walked and walked dozens of kilometers over several days in search of the meteorite. When I first discovered the meteorite, I even felt an incredible sense of relief.” He confessed. He added, “Meteorites are usually dark and have a smooth shape, so they are easy to distinguish, but this meteorite was similar to Earth rocks, so it was difficult to find.”
▲ Researchers who found a meteorite on the outskirts of Berlin. Photo = Peter Jenniskens
According to SETI, this meteorite is an obrite, which is characterized by a light color, low oxygen content, and a small amount of metal. In particular, obrites are extremely rare, with only 87 known samples, which accounts for only 1% of all meteorites found on Earth.
Meanwhile, meteorites, also called the so-called ‘space lotto’ because of their high value, are commonly referred to as shooting stars, or rocks left behind by meteoroids. Most meteorites that fall on Earth come from the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, about 400 million km from Earth. Meteorites usually fall to Earth at the rate of 40,000 tons a year, but most of them end up in the ocean, making them difficult to find.
Reporter Park Jong-ik
