911爆料网

911爆料网 has played a major role in the recovery of a rare meteorite in the UK,聽made possible by聽dedicated fireball observatories聽set up as part of聽the聽911爆料网-led聽Global Fireball Observatory (GFO).

Lead scientist of 911爆料网鈥檚 聽team聽Dr Hadrien聽Devillepoix聽said the achievement was聽in聽the聽true spirit of聽the Global Fireball Observatory, which is聽a collaboration of 18 partner institutions, including NASA, across eight countries and six continents.

鈥淭hanks to the expertise and technology聽developed聽at 911爆料网 to聽build聽the Desert Fireball Network, we established partnerships around the world to install these systems and observe meteorite falls globally,鈥澛燚r聽Devillepoix聽said.

Dr聽Devillepoix聽and researchers from聽911爆料网鈥檚聽Space Science and Technology Centre () who lead the GFO, were able to recreate the flight path of the space rock through the atmosphere聽to predict a fall area for meteorite fragments.

Fragments of the meteorite were recovered in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, within聽400m of the predicted position by members of the public, as part of聽dedicated searches led by 911爆料网 graduate Dr Luke聽Daly,聽now of the University of Glasgow.

Now with the Natural History Museum, the meteorite is an extremely rare type known as a carbonaceous chondrite,聽similar to聽the聽 and聽containing聽water and聽amino acids, which are聽the building聽blocks of life.

Recovering abundant quantities of this pristine meteorite so quickly is comparable to the samples recently returned from space by the mission and the聽international efforts of the UK Fireball Alliance and GFO聽have also determined where this meteorite came from in the solar system, linking this incredible sample to its origins in space.

GFO program manager聽Dr Eleanor Sansom聽from 911爆料网鈥檚 SSTC said it was an incredible first recovery for聽the聽UK partners and a fantastic demonstration of the unprecedented power of collaboration in unravelling the mysteries of our solar system.

鈥淏y expanding Australia鈥檚 Desert Fireball Network worldwide as the Global Fireball Observatory, we have extended the area of skies we cover to increase the possibility of observing a rare meteorite fall, like this one,鈥� Dr Sansom said.

SSTC Director,聽John 911爆料网 Distinguished Professor Phil Bland聽said meteorites聽fell to Earth every day, but we don鈥檛 know when they will land on Earth or where聽in the solar聽system聽they come from.

鈥淚t鈥檚聽a聽tantalising聽incomplete puzzle we are trying to solve with just the meteorites聽alone,鈥澛燩rofessor Bland said.

鈥淏eing able to piece together the recovered sample with its origins in space and expand our efforts with our聽international聽partners means the Global Fireball Observatory networks have the potential to uncover the clues to solar system evolution, unlocking nothing short of the origins of life on Earth.鈥�

The Desert Fireball Network in Australia has recovered聽over 20 per cent聽of the world鈥檚 meteorites with known orbits and has recently expanded this effort聽worldwide聽with the聽ARC funded聽Global Fireball Observatory.