A meteorite streaked over india breaking down while descending falling in two villages in Gujarat. It has been identified as aubrite meteorite. Hundreds of meteorites crash every year but this is a rare meteorite and last time it crashed was in 1852 in Basti, uttar Pradesh. The mineral heideite was first time discovered in the basti meteorite.
On August 17, 2022, a meteorite streaked over India, breaking apart as it descended through the air, to scatter over two villages in Banaskantha, Gujarat. One piece struck a neem tree in Rantila village and shattered into several pieces. Another landed on the porch of a house in Ravel village, 10 km away, and met a similar fate.
In a rare event, a meteorite streaked over India and broke apart while descending, falling in two villages in Gujarat. The meteorite has been identified as an aubrite meteorite, a type of achondrite meteorite that is believed to have formed on a primitive asteroid that underwent extensive melting and differentiation.
The discovery of the aubrite meteorite is significant because it is only the second time such a meteorite has been found in India in over 170 years. The last time an aubrite meteorite was found in India was in 1852 in Basti, Uttar Pradesh. The meteorite that fell in Gujarat is believed to have originated from the Flora family of asteroids, which are thought to have formed in the early solar system.
Scientists have already begun studying the meteorite and have discovered that it contains a variety of exotic minerals that are not found on Earth. The mineral heideite, for example, was first discovered in the Basti meteorite, which fell in 1852. It is a rare mineral that is believed to have formed under extreme conditions in the early solar system.
“The similar and unique characteristics of highly reducing conditions on the surface of planet Mercury and aubrite often suggest that enstatite meteorites are the potential petrologic and geochemical analogs of planet Mercury, even though we do not have any known Mercurian samples in our collection. Therefore, this rare specimen of meteorite not only improves the existing meteoritic database but will be important for understanding the planetary processes in the future,” the paper said.
The discovery of the aubrite meteorite is not only exciting for scientists but also for the local residents of Gujarat. The meteorite has sparked a lot of curiosity and interest in the area, with many people traveling to the site to see the fallen fragments.
Meteorites are fascinating objects that have the potential to provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system. They can also provide clues about the conditions that existed on early Earth and the origins of life on our planet.
Residents of Banaskantha’s Rantila village reported the fall of the meteorite. One of them said he heard a thunderous sound similar to a jet plane passing by. The meteorite hit a neem tree branch and broke into several fragments. The villagers collected its pieces with the largest weighing around 200 gram.
In conclusion, the discovery of the aubrite meteorite in Gujarat is a significant event that has generated a lot of interest and excitement among scientists and local residents alike. The study of this rare meteorite will undoubtedly yield valuable insights into the early history of our solar system, and the exotic minerals contained within it will provide new opportunities for scientific research and discovery.
