Astrophysicists from Canada claim that the mass of the stream of meteorites bombarding our long-suffering planet exceeds 21 tons per year. But in most cases this goes unnoticed, since a person can observe and find meteorites only in the habitable zone.
The share of land on the Earth's surface is only 29%; the rest of the planet is occupied by the World Ocean. But even from this 29% it is necessary to take away places that are not inhabited by humans or are completely unsuitable for habitation. Therefore, finding a meteorite is a great success. However, there was a case when a meteorite itself found a person.
The case of a meteorite colliding with a person
Throughout the history of falls celestial bodies On Earth, only one officially documented case of direct contact of a meteorite with a person is known.
It happened in the USA on November 30, 1954. A four-kilogram meteorite broke through the roof of a house and injured the owner’s leg. This means that there is still a risk that a more serious guest from outer space could fall on people’s heads. I wonder what the largest meteorite fell on our planet?
Meteorites are divided into three categories: stony, stony-iron and iron. And each of these categories has its own giants.
The largest stone meteorite
Relatively recently, on March 8, 1976, space presented the Chinese with a gift in the form of stones falling to the surface of the earth for 37 minutes. One of the fallen specimens weighed 1.77 tons. It was the largest meteorite that fell to earth, having the structure of a rock. The incident occurred near the Chinese province of Jilin. The space guest received the same name.
To this day, the Jilin meteorite remains the largest rock meteorite discovered on earth.
Largest ironstone meteorite
The largest representative of the category of iron-stone meteorites weighed 1.5 tons. It was found in 1805 in Germany.
A fellow German meteorite, found in Australia, weighed only 100 kg less than the German one.
But everyone was surpassed by the iron guest from space, whose weight was tens of times greater than all previously found meteorites.
Largest iron meteorite
In 1920, an iron meteorite with a diameter of 2.7 meters and weighing over 66 tons was discovered in southwestern Namibia! A larger specimen than this has never been found on our planet. It turned out to be the largest meteorite to fall to Earth. It was named after the Goba West farm, whose owner came across it while cultivating a field. The approximate age of the iron block is 80 thousand years.
Today it is the largest solid block of natural iron.
In 1955, the largest meteorite that fell to earth, Goba, was declared a national monument and taken under state protection. This was a necessary measure, since over the 35 years that the meteorite was in the public domain, it lost 6 tons in mass. Part of the weight was lost as a result of natural processes - erosion. But numerous tourists made the main contribution to the “weight loss” process. Now you can approach the celestial body only under supervision and for a fee.
The meteorites mentioned above are, of course, the largest in their category ever discovered. But the question of which largest meteorite fell to earth remained open.
The meteorite that killed the dinosaurs
Everyone knows the sad story of the extinction of dinosaurs. Scientists are still arguing about the cause of their death, but the version that a meteorite was the culprit of the tragedy remains the main one.
According to scientists, 65 million years ago the Earth was hit by a huge meteorite, which caused a catastrophe on a planetary scale. The meteorite fell on the territory that now belongs to Mexico - the Yucotan Peninsula, near the village of Chicxulub. Evidence of this fall was the impact crater found in 1970. But since the depression was filled with sedimentary rocks, they did not carefully examine the meteorite. And only 20 years later scientists returned to study it.
As a result of the work, it turned out that the crater left by the meteorite has a diameter of 180 km. The diameter of the meteorite itself was about 10 km. The impact energy during the fall was 100,000 Gtv (this is comparable to the simultaneous explosion of 2,000,000 of the largest thermonuclear charges).
It is assumed that a tsunami was formed as a result of the meteorite impact, the wave height varied from 50 to 100 meters. The dust particles raised during the impact tightly blocked the Earth from the Sun for several years, which led to a sharp climate change. and periodic large-scale fires aggravated the situation. An analogue of nuclear winter has arrived on the planet. As a result of the disaster, 75% of animal and plant species became extinct.
Nevertheless, officially the Chicxulub meteorite is the largest meteorite that fell to earth 65 million years ago. He practically destroyed all life on the planet. But in history it ranks only third in size.
First among the giants
Presumably 2 billion years ago, a meteorite fell on Earth, leaving a mark 300 km in diameter on its surface. The meteorite itself supposedly had a diameter of more than 15 km.
The crater left after the fall is located in South Africa, in the province of the Free State, and is called Vredefort. This is the largest impact crater, and was left by the largest meteorite that fell to Earth in the entire history of our planet. In 2005, the Vredefort Crater was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest meteorite that fell to Earth did not leave a photo as a souvenir, but a huge scar in the form of a crater on the surface of our planet will not allow us to forget about it.
It has been noticed that the fall of meteorites, the size of which is measured at least tens of meters, occurs with a periodicity of hundreds of years. And larger meteorites fall even less frequently.
According to scientists, a new guest wants to visit Earth in 2029.
Meteorite named Apophis
The meteorite that threatens our planet was named Apophis (that was the name of the snake god, who was the antipode of the sun god Ra in Ancient Egypt). It is not known for certain whether it will fall to Earth or miss and pass near the planet. But what happens if a collision does occur?
Scenario of Apophis colliding with Earth
So, it is known that the diameter of Apophis is only 320 meters. When it falls to Earth, there will be an explosion equal in power to the 15,000 bombs dropped on Hiroshima.
If Apophis hits the mainland, an impact crater will appear, having a depth of 400-500 meters and a diameter of up to 5 km. The resulting explosion will destroy permanent structures at a distance of 50 km from the epicenter. Buildings that do not have the strength of a brick house will be destroyed at a distance of 100-150 km. The column of dust will rise to a height of several kilometers and then cover the entire planet.
Stories spread by the media about nuclear winter and the end of the world are too exaggerated. The size of the meteorite is too small for such consequences. The temperature may drop by 1-2 degrees, but after six months it will return to normal. That is, the predicted catastrophe, if it does happen, will be far from global.
If Apophis falls into the ocean, which is more likely, a tsunami will occur that will cover coastal areas. The height of the wave will depend on the distance between the shore and the location of the meteorite fall. The initial wave can be up to 500 meters high, but if Apophis falls in the center of the ocean, then the wave reaching the shore will not exceed 10-20 meters. Although this is also quite serious. The storm will continue for several hours. All these events should be considered only as possible with some degree of probability. So will Apophis collide with our planet or not?
The probability of Apophis falling to Earth
Apophis will theoretically threaten our planet twice. The first time - in 2029, and then - in 2036. After conducting observations using radar installations, a group of scientists completely ruled out the possibility of a meteorite colliding with the earth. As for 2036, today the chance of a meteorite colliding with the Earth is 1:250,000. And every year, as the accuracy of calculations increases, the probability of a collision decreases.
But even with this probability, various options for forcing Apophis to deviate from course are being considered. Apophis is thus an object of interest rather than threat.
In conclusion, I would like to note that meteorites are severely destroyed when entering the earth’s atmosphere. When approaching the Earth, the speed at which guests fall from space is 10-70 km/sec, and upon contact with the gaseous atmosphere, which has quite a high density, the temperature of the meteorite increases to critical, and it simply burns or is very badly destroyed. Thus, the atmosphere of our planet is the best protector against uninvited guests.
Despite the colossal scale of the Universe, processes constantly occur in it that influence cosmic bodies. Galaxies move towards each other, stars are born and die. Humanity watches such major cataclysms on a universal scale from the sidelines. All this is happening far from us and threatens us only theoretically. The threat from events occurring in near space looks much more serious.
Meteorites, comets and asteroids - these space wanderers, rushing through outer space at a speed of 20 or more kilometers per second, have enormous destructive force. Collision of the Earth with such cosmic body brings catastrophic consequences for our world, including the destruction of life on Earth. There is a lot of evidence about such visits in the distant past of our planet, but this process continues today.
What are space meteorites?
During its formation, the solar system was a giant construction site. After the formation of planets, a huge amount of construction debris remained in outer space, representing solid fragments of various sizes. Larger formations became comets and asteroids. Large asteroids have astrophysical parameters similar to planetary ones. Small asteroids are eternal wanderers, constantly exposed to the influence of larger celestial bodies in the solar system.
Periodically, the flight routes of these space hulks intersect with the orbit of planets, which threatens a dangerous encounter or a catastrophic collision. The scale and consequences of such a date can be very different. For Earth, the most harmless option for such a meeting is the flight of a meteor, which lines the night sky with a swift, bright spark. In ancient times, few people realized that a falling star was often accompanied by the fall of meteorites to the surface of the Earth. Today we know that meteor flights can leave marks on the face of the planet. Thousands of meteorites constantly fall on it, and other planets also experience similar external influences.
Such gifts most often fall on the surface of our planet during the close passage of a meteor shower through the Earth’s orbit. While everyone is watching the starfall in the sky with delight, thousands of small meteors fall into the Earth's atmosphere. The meteor shower of 1833 caused panic throughout the northern part of the Western Hemisphere. The cause of such an astronomical event, unprecedented for earthlings, was the Leonid meteor shower, through which our planet flew. As a result, meteorite showers occurred throughout almost the entire United States. Today scientists have established the frequency of the Earth's encounter with this meteor shower. Every 33 years, our planet intersects with this stream in the Universe, so the rain of 1833 can happen again. The last such meeting took place in 1998.
A cosmic body falling into the dense layers of the Earth's atmosphere is destroyed. The ice melts and evaporates, and large fragments are the remains of this swift guest, reaching the surface of the earth, becoming meteorites.
At the moment, it is customary to distinguish the following types of meteorites:
- stone celestial bodies;
- iron meteorites.
Scientists, having received a particle or fragment of such a guest that fell to Earth, can judge from which building material the universe was built. Until spacecraft explored the soil of other planets, and people got their hands on samples of lunar rock, meteorites were the only sources of information about cosmic matter.
The bulk of celestial bodies that fell on our planet are stone meteorites. These objects can have different sizes, ranging from the largest meteorites to the smallest - the size of a pea.
What does a meteorite look like? As a rule, such space guests most often have irregular shape and resemble a huge block of stone. Literally "meteorite" with ancient Greek language translated as “stone from the sky.”
Less commonly, meteorites made of iron (up to 40% nickel) arrive on Earth. These visitors are smaller in size and consist of pure iron, of cosmic origin, whose age is 4.5-5.5 billion years. Modern science is based on data and research of space material brought to us from deep space over a 200-year history. The impacts of larger meteorites are constantly being studied, providing insight into what human civilization may encounter in the future.
Astrophysical parameters of meteorites
Meteorites are usually divided into two types: fallen and found. The first are astrophysical phenomena recorded in our sky during their fall. The second refers to objects that were found by a person by chance. The first type may be of greatest interest to science. By recording the flight of a meteorite and knowing exactly where it fell, scientists can obtain a huge amount of information. A found fragment of a meteorite or a whole fragment gives an idea of the composition of the meteorite and the age of this guest.
Celestial objects that were discovered by man as a result of his life activity can be encountered quite often. Every day, 5-6 tons of meteorites fly to the surface of our planet from space. Usually these visitors are small in size, but there are specimens weighing up to one kilogram. In most cases, the meteorites found are pieces of iron.
In this context, the size of the meteorite is also important. The larger the cosmic body rushing towards Earth, the higher the likelihood of its inevitable collision with our blue planet.
The largest meteorite that came from space and was found by man is Goba. This is a huge iron block with a volume of 9m³.
The enormous speed of the meteorite leads to the fact that stone celestial bodies are destroyed when falling. Iron pieces are able to fly to our planet, retaining their bulk.
The fall of a meteorite is an interesting astrophysical phenomenon. Meteorites that reach the earth's atmosphere rush at a speed of 20-30 km/s. The speed of the meteorite reaching the surface of the planet is correspondingly the same, but the flight itself is fleeting and lasts no more than 10-15 seconds.
One can only imagine what the falling speed of the meteorite was that left behind the famous Arizona crater. The famous Yucatan crater is the trace of the largest meteorite that fell on our planet in ancient times. The crash site is a depression with a diameter of 180 km, which was discovered from images obtained from space. It is difficult to imagine what the threat of a collision between the Earth and a space object of this size would be. modern conditions. It is possible that this was the same meteorite that put an end to dinosaurs as an entire species.
The mass of a cosmic body, multiplied by the speed with which it rushes towards the Earth, gives the meteorite colossal destructive power. The energy of a meteorite is measured in tons of TNT equivalent.
The power of the explosion of the Tunguska meteorite, which exploded in the area of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River (Eastern Siberia) on June 30, 1908, is estimated by scientists at 40-50 megatons of TNT. According to approximate data, the mass of the meteorite was more than 100 thousand tons. As a result of the explosion, a meteorite or other celestial body exploded in the air, but the force of the explosion was such that the shock wave circled the planet twice.
The composition of the meteorite (iron or silicates), the angle of incidence and its size determine the behavior of the celestial body in the earth's atmosphere. The surface of the meteorite (crust) is exposed to high temperatures caused by the effect of friction against the layers of the earth's atmosphere. An object can also collapse in the atmosphere under the influence of geomagnetic fields and the force of gravity. Flying through the air layer, the celestial body loses 10-19% of its original mass. Such air explosions occur quite often in the earth's atmosphere. A huge amount of small particles and fragments fall onto the Earth, without causing much destruction or devastation. A large meteorite is likely to reach earth's crust, causing natural destruction with its fall. All known meteorites have left behind traces that are scattered throughout the globe. The size of meteorite craters indicates the size of space aliens.
It is difficult to predict where the next alien will fall and what its behavior will be during the flight. NASA astrophysics laboratory specialists have created a simulation of the behavior of a meteorite. This model allows us to obtain preliminary accurate data on where the next space guest may fall and what to expect from such a meeting.
The most famous and studied space meteorites
Modern science has sufficient quantity collected data on meteorites that visited our planet. Data on prehistoric guests are anthropological and geological in nature. More recent data on the fall of meteorites on our planet already has informative and more accurate scientific potential.
Of the most famous meteorites that fell in modern times and have been subjected to detailed study, the Tunguska meteorite ranks first. Over the past 110 years since the collision, this cosmic catastrophe is considered the largest. Scientists admit that if this body had fallen to the surface of the Earth, the history of human civilization could have taken a different path.
The consequences of the collision are striking in their scale. Despite the absence of a crater, the area around the explosion of the celestial body suffered terrible devastation. Within a week after the fall, there were unusual phenomena. The aurora was observed in the southern latitudes, and glowing clouds stood overhead.
Smaller meetings with space guests include the following:
- the fall of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite in February 1947;
- meteor shower in 1976, which showered several provinces of China at once;
- the fall of an iron meteorite in the area of Lake Sterlitamak in May 1990.
Collisions between the Earth and meteorites occur regularly. With the advent of modern tracking tools, it has become possible to track the flights of cosmic bodies falling to the ground and quickly identify the places where they fall.
Video recording tools made it possible to capture a large-scale astronomical spectacle in 2007, when a large celestial body fell on the territory of Peru. This meteorite left behind a crater with a diameter of 20 meters. The next meteor shower in China, which took place in February 2012, looked no less impressive. After it, more than 30 craters of various sizes were discovered. The arrival of the Sutter Mill meteorite in 2012 could have been a major catastrophe of our time. This object exploded in the air at an altitude of 100 km and covered the entire Midwest of the United States with its debris.
The meteorite that fell in Russia near Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013 is interesting. The cosmic body did not reach the surface of the planet and collapsed several kilometers above the city. It was not possible to determine the exact location where this object fell. Fragments and debris of the celestial body scattered over a vast area.
Finally
The meeting of our planet with space objects carries a certain threat. Mathematical model of the solar system, compiled by astrophysicists in last years, allows us to hope that in the near future we are not threatened with a catastrophic visit by space guests. It cannot be said that earthlings are insured against similar disasters in the future. The universe is in constant movement and the situation in space may change. Whether the sky will be so calm in the future, time will tell.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
Our planet is subjected to real cosmic bombardment every day. Hundreds of small and not so small meteorites attack the Earth, fortunately, burning up in the atmosphere. Only a few manage to reach the surface while maintaining a significant size.
Today we invite you to consider Top 10 largest meteorites that have fallen to Earth since the beginning of the 20th century. We did not include in the top ten huge cosmic bodies that left scars on the face of the planet millions of years ago.
Today, at the site where those meteors fell, there are craters, often turned into lakes, for example, Lake Mistastin in Canada and the 45-kilometer Karakul Lake in Tajikistan.
10. Sutter Mill meteorite, April 22, 2012
A meteorite flew through the sky towards the United States and exploded directly over Washington. The power of the explosion was about 4 kilotons of TNT. Enthusiasts found many fragments of different sizes not only in Washington, but also in the states of Nevada and California.
9. Meteorite that fell in China on February 11, 2012
On the night of February 11, the sky over China was colored with hundreds of lights meteor shower. Cosmic bodies covered an area of 100 square kilometers. The largest meteorite found weighed 12.6 kg.
8. Peruvian meteorite, September 15, 2007
This meteorite fell in broad daylight near Lake Titicaca. At the crash site, a crater 6 meters deep and 30 meters in diameter was formed. Soon after the fall, more than 1,500 people reported experiencing severe headaches.
7. Kunya-Urgench meteorite, Turkmenistan, June 20, 1998
A huge meteorite fell at night near the city of Kunya-Urgench. The largest fragment weighed 820 kg, and scientists determined its age at around 4 billion years.
6. Meteorite Sterlitamak, May 17, 1990
A large meteorite weighing 315 kg left a crater with a diameter of more than 10 meters at the crash site. The space guest was placed in the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of the Ufa Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where everyone can admire it.
5. Jilin meteorite. China, March 8, 1976
One of the largest meteorites found fell to Earth during a powerful meteor shower. Its weight was 1.7 tons. Simultaneously with this giant, thousands of smaller cosmic bodies burned in the sky for 37 minutes.
4. Sikhote-Alin meteorite, Russia, Far East, February 12, 1947
This huge meteorite exploded in the atmosphere, and its fragments formed more than 30 craters on the surface of the Earth from 7 to 28 m to 6 meters deep. Scientists collected about 27 tons of debris of various sizes, which allows us to judge the significant size of the meteorite.
3. Goba meteorite, Namibia, 1920
This meteorite arrived on earth about 20 thousand years ago, but was found only in 1920. The stone weighs more than 60 tons. Moreover, scientists say that in the time since its fall, the meteorite has “lost weight” due to erosion and the actions of vandals.
2. Chelyabinsk meteorite, February 15, 2013
This meteorite, of course, is not the largest, but one of the most famous. Cosmic bodies rarely fall in the area of large populated areas, as happened in Chelyabinsk. Before the explosion, the meteorite weighed about 10 thousand tons and had a diameter of 17 meters. According to NASA estimates, this particular meteorite is the largest since the legendary Tunguska.
1. Tunguska meteorite, June 30, 1908
Scientists do not know the mass of the most famous meteorite, naming only its limits - from 100 thousand to 1 million tons. The blast wave from a meteorite that exploded over the taiga circled the globe twice. As a result, trees were felled on an area of over 2 thousand square meters. km, and windows flew out in houses a hundred kilometers from the explosion. The glow in the sky over the taiga lasted for several days.
Bonus video:
Hard ice, gas ice, caked ice!
Meteorites have fallen to the ground many times: one fell quite recently - we are talking, of course, about the famous Chelyabinsk meteorite. There are others, no less famous and much larger, the consequences of whose fall were sometimes devastating.
1. Tunguska meteorite
On June 17, 1908, at seven o'clock local time, an air explosion with a power of about 50 megatons occurred in the area of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River - this power corresponds to an explosion hydrogen bomb. The explosion and the subsequent blast wave were recorded by observatories all over the world, huge trees on an area of 2000 km² from the supposed epicenter were uprooted, and not a single intact glass was left in the houses of residents. After this, for several more days the sky and clouds in this area glowed, including at night.
Local residents said that shortly before the explosion they saw a huge fireball flying across the sky. Unfortunately, given the year of the incident, not a single photograph of the ball was taken.
None of the numerous research expeditions discovered any celestial body that could serve as a basis for the ball. Moreover, the first expedition arrived in the Tunguska region 19 years after the event described - in 1927.
The event is attributed to the fall of a large meteorite to Earth, which later became known as the Tunguska meteorite, but scientists were unable to detect fragments of the celestial body or at least the matter remaining from its fall. However, in this place an accumulation of microscopic silicate and magnetite balls was recorded, which could not have arisen in this area for natural reasons, so they are attributed to cosmic origin.
It is still unknown exactly what caused the explosion: there is no official hypothesis, but the meteorite nature of the phenomenon still seems most likely.
2. Meteorite Tsarev
In December 1922, residents of the Astrakhan province were able to observe a stone falling from the sky: eyewitnesses said that the fireball was enormous in size and made a deafening noise in flight. Afterwards there was an explosion, and from the sky (again according to eyewitnesses) a rain of stones began to fall - the next day, farmers living in that area found fragments of stones of a strange shape and appearance in their fields.
The rumor about the incident quickly spread throughout Russia: expeditions arrived in the Astrakhan province, but for some reason they did not find any traces of the meteorite fall. They were found only 50 years later when plowing the fields of the Leninsky state farm - a total of 82 chondritic meteorites were found, and the fragments were scattered over an area of 25 km2. The largest fragment weighs 284 kg (now it can be seen in the Moscow Fersman Museum), the smallest is only 50 grams, and the composition of the samples clearly indicates their extraterrestrial origin.
The total weight of the found debris is estimated at 1225 kg, while the fall of such a large celestial body did not cause significant damage.
3. Goba
The largest intact meteorite in the world is the Goba meteorite: it is located in Namibia and is a block weighing about 60 tons and a volume of 9 m³, consisting of 84% iron and 16% nickel with a small admixture of cobalt. The surface of the meteorite is iron without any impurities: there is no other single piece of natural iron of such size on Earth.
Only dinosaurs could have observed Goba's fall to Earth: it fell on our planet in prehistoric times and for a long time was buried underground until it was discovered by a local farmer while plowing a field in 1920. Now the site has been given the status of a national monument, and anyone can see it for a small fee.
It is believed that when it fell, the meteorite weighed 90 tons, but over the millennia of its stay on the planet, erosion, vandalism and scientific research caused its mass to decrease to 60 tons. Unfortunately, the unique object continues to “lose weight” - many tourists consider it their duty to steal a piece as a souvenir .
4. Sikhote-Alin meteorite
On February 12, 1947, a huge block fell in the Ussuri taiga - the event could be observed by residents of the village of Beitsukhe in the Primorsky Territory: as always happens in the case of a meteorite fall, witnesses spoke of a huge fireball, the appearance and explosion of which was followed by a rain of iron fragments, fell over an area of 35 km². The meteorite did not cause significant damage, but it made a number of craters in the ground, one of which was six meters deep.
It is assumed that the mass of the meteorite at the time of entry into the Earth's atmosphere ranged from 60 to 100 tons: the largest of the fragments found weighs 23 tons and is considered one of the ten largest meteorites in the world. There are also several other large blocks formed as a result of the explosion - now the fragments are stored in the Meteorite Collection of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Khabarovsk Regional Museum named after N. I. Grodekov.
5. Allende
Allende fell to Earth on February 8, 1969 in the Mexican state of Chihuahua - it is considered the largest carbonaceous meteorite on the planet, and at the time of its fall its mass was about five tons.
Today, Allende is the most studied meteorite in the world: its fragments are stored in many museums around the world, and it is notable primarily for the fact that it is the oldest discovered body Solar System, the age of which was accurately established - it is about 4.567 billion years old.
In addition, a previously unknown mineral, called pangite, was found in its composition for the first time: scientists suggest that such a mineral is part of many space objects, in particular asteroids.
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In 1790, a meteorite fell to Earth for the first time. True, scientists from the Paris Academy of Sciences recognized the fact of the collision of a comic body with the surface of our planet only 13 years later, at first considering the testimony of three hundred eyewitnesses a joke. This selection contains the most sensational meteorites in human history.
Goba: the largest meteorite found (Namibia)
The largest meteorite found weighs more than 60 tons and has a diameter of about 3 meters. It fell on the territory of modern Namibia approximately 80 thousand years ago. The celestial body was discovered relatively recently - in 1920, the owner of the Hoba West Farm, located in the southwest of the country, came across a huge piece of iron while plowing one of his fields. The find was named after the farm.
Composed of 84% iron, the meteorite is considered the largest nugget of this metal found on Earth. In order to prevent vandalism, it was declared a national monument in 1955, because since its discovery, the mass of Goba has decreased by 6 tons. In 1987, the farm owner donated the meteorite and the land on which it is located to the state, and now the Namibian government monitors its safety.
Allende: the most studied among meteorites (Mexico)
Unsuspecting residents of the city of Chihuahua woke up around 1 a.m. on February 8, 1969. They were awakened by noise and a bright flash resulting from the fall of a 5-ton meteorite. Many fragments scattered over tens of kilometers, the total weight of which is estimated at 2-3 tons. The collected pieces “scattered” to institutes and museums around the world.
Scientists say that Allende (Spanish: Allende) is the largest and most studied of the recorded carbonaceous meteorites. A report by American astrophysicists from the Livermore National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy states that the age of calcium-aluminum inclusions in which the meteorite is rich is approximately 4.6 billion years, that is, more than the age of any of the planets in the solar system.
Murchison meteorite: the most “living” meteorite found on Earth (Australia)
Named after the Australian city near which it fell in 1969, the Murchison meteorite is considered the most “alive” found on Earth. The reason for this is more than 14 thousand organic compounds, included in the composition of the 108-kilogram carbonaceous stone, including at least 70 different amino acids.
Research led by Philipp Schmitt-Koplin from the Institute of Environmental Chemistry in Germany claims that the meteorite contains millions of different kinds organic molecules, which proves the existence of amino acids beyond our planet. Scientists estimate that the meteorite is 4.65 billion years old, meaning it formed before the appearance of the Sun, which is estimated to be 4.57 billion years old.
Sikhote-Alin meteorite: one of the largest observed falling (Russia)
One of the largest meteorites in the world fell in the Primorsky Territory in the Sikhote-Alin mountains in February 1947. The dazzling fireball it caused was observed in Khabarovsk and other populated areas within a radius of 400 km. An iron body weighing 23 tons disintegrated in the atmosphere into many fragments in the form of a meteor shower.
The debris formed more than 30 craters on the Earth's surface ranging from 7 to 28 m in diameter and up to 6 meters deep. The largest fragment of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite weighs about 1,745 kg. Pilots of the Far Eastern Geological Department were the first to report the location of the celestial body's fall. Chemical analysis showed a 94% proportion of iron in the meteorite.
ALH84001: the most famous Martian meteorite (Antarctica)
Under this name lies perhaps the most famous of the 34 Martian meteorites found on Earth. It was discovered on December 27, 1984 in the Alan Hills Mountains in Antarctica (the name of the mountains is recorded in the name with a three-letter abbreviation). According to studies, the age of the alien body ranges from 3.9 to 4.5 billion years. The meteorite, whose weight is 1.93 kg, fell to Earth about 13 thousand years ago.
There is a hypothesis according to which it broke off from the surface of Mars during a collision of the planet with a large cosmic body. In 1996, NASA scientists released sensational data suggesting the existence of traces of life on Mars. When scanning the structures of the meteorite with a scanning electron microscope, microscopic structures were identified that can also be interpreted as fossilized traces of bacteria.
Tunguska meteorite: the most “powerful” meteorite (Russia)
One of the most famous meteorites in the world hit the Earth in 1908, exploding at an altitude of 5 - 7 kilometers above Eastern Siberia. An explosion with a power of 40 megatons knocked down trees over an area of more than 2 thousand square kilometers in the area of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River. Its blast wave circled the globe twice, leaving behind a glow in the sky for several days. In addition, a powerful magnetic storm that lasted five hours completed a series of consequences of the cataclysm.
Several Italian scientists have hypothesized that the Tunguska crater may be Lake Cheko on the Kimchu River, which is located 8 km northwest of the epicenter of the explosion.
Lake Cheko on the Kimchu River
Chelyabinsk meteorite: No. 2 after Tunguska (Russia)
According to NASA estimates, the Chelyabinsk meteorite is the largest known celestial body to fall to Earth after the Tunguska meteorite. They started talking about it on February 15 and continue to discuss it six months later. Exploding in the sky above Chelyabinsk at an altitude of 23 km, the meteorite caused a powerful shock wave, which, as in the case of the Tunguska meteorite, circled the globe twice.
Before the explosion, the meteorite weighed about 10 thousand tons and had a diameter of 17 meters, and afterward it shattered into hundreds of fragments, the largest of which weighed up to half a ton. The space guest, who brought world fame to the region, is planned to be immortalized in the form of a monument.
A fragment of a Chelyabinsk meteorite found near Yemanzhelinsk. Weight is 112.2 g.