Spherical, prismatic 'foreign object' exposed in meteorite that fell to Russia

Research led by Dr Oliver Gutfleisch from Darmstadt University of Technology, has found micrometer-sized carbon microcrystals in the dusty debris of the Chelyabinsk meteorite.

They examined the crystals with electron microscopy (SEM) and discovered they had many unusual shapes: a closed spherical shell and a hexagonal prism as long as a rod. Such carbon crystals have not been seen anywhere on Earth or in any alien object before.

Carbon is thought to be the "backbone" of life, so anything strange about it is of particular interest to planetary scientists.

Strange objects inside the Chelyabinsk . meteorite

It is not clear whether this strange material was brought by the meteorite from an alien world, or formed during its fall, as a "hybrid" between the original material in the meteorite and the effects of the meteorite. The earth.

When a celestial body enters Earth's atmosphere, its surface is exposed to high pressure and temperature. The airflow tore apart droplets from the meteorite forming a dust cloud, and it is also possible that new matter was formed from those conditions.

Chelyabinsk, which exploded on May 12, 2013 over the snowfields of the Southern Urals, is the largest meteorite of the 21st century, with an initial diameter of up to 18 meters.

The Chelyabinsk dust cloud, which forms at an altitude of 80 to 27 km, has been detected by several satellites. It moved east in evolution and circled the entire globe in 4 days.

The conditions under which the meteorite fall can be considered unique: there was a snowfall 8 days before the meteorite fell, creating a distinct border that allows the beginning of the dust layer to be determined. . About 13 days after the meteorite fell there was also a snowfall to preserve the meteorite dust that had fallen at the time.

Chelyabinsk shows that the Earth is not completely protected from dangerous space objects, and it also provides our planet with unique materials synthesized under conditions that cannot be reproduced in planets. Advanced laboratory.