Meteors more than 5 tons intact after the big fire in the museum

The largest meteorite piece discovered in Brazil with the main component is iron - nickel alloy that can withstand very high temperatures.

Bendegó , Brazil's largest meteorite, is among the few objects that are virtually undamaged after a fire at the Brazilian National Museum, Rio de Janeiro, on September 2, Space reported. Of the museum's 20 million artifacts, many were destroyed by the fire.

The meteorite Bendegó is still intact in the museum burned down.

The main constituent of Bendego is iron-nickel alloy. This is one of more than 10 museum meteors. It was discovered by a farmer near the town of Monte Santo, Bahia, in 1784 weighing about 5,260kg, twice the average car. Meanwhile, Bendegó is the second largest meteorite in the world.

When the locals first tried to bring Bendegó to the capital with a cart, the incident occurred and the rock rolled along the slope, falling into the river. It remained there for a century, until the Emperor Pedro II moved to the museum. The meteorite piece has been displayed here since 1888.

Illustrating the process of transporting the meteorite Bendegó to Rio de Janeiro in 1784. (Photo: Space).

The museum also keeps many other valuable objects when a fire occurs, including the 11,000-year skull of a Paleoindian woman named Luzia, the reconstructed skeleton of the large-sized Maxakalisaurus and some mummies. Update.

Authorities have not been able to accurately count the total damage as experts have to postpone the inspection until the engineer team can safely enter the building, according to the Guardian. An expert said that an estimated 90% of museum artifacts were damaged or destroyed.

The fact that Bendegó seemed to remain intact after the fire did not surprise. Meteors, or fragments from asteroids, enter the Earth's atmosphere and may be subjected to heat up to 1,650 degrees Celsius. This heat is sufficient to melt metals such as iron and nickel, ingredients in many galaxies. jelly. However, the temperature in a burning building is not so high.