A meteorite found in Somalia leads to exciting discoveries

The Meteorites It still has a lot to teach us, and allows us to make fascinating discoveries. Does the ground water come from seeding these pebbles that fall from the sky, and doesn’t the raw materials of life come from these stones from space?

To answer these questions, the search for meteorites is important and sometimes leads to new discoveries such as new minerals. Big El Ali meteorite Known for generations by local people, fell in Somalia (15 tons all the same!) was excavated in 2020 and a 70 gram fragment was analyzed to study its composition.

soon, Unusual elements observed by and led to a detailed studyUniversity of Alberta. Two unknown minerals Listed in record time.

Two minerals that have never been found in nature

They were baptized Elalite And ElkinstoniteIn reference to the site’s name and NASA researcher Lindy Elkins-Tandon Psychological work A study of an iron-rich asteroid.

Credit: University of Alberta

Minerals have already been created in the laboratory, but have never been encountered in nature. A third mineral could be identified later but since the meteorite was transported to China, obtaining new fragments may be problematic.

Meteor on Chinese soil

The analysis of this meteorite is particularly interesting because it does not come from antiquity Iron core Already made up of a fragmented planet, instead of one The embryo is formed and rich in many minerals formed by the various physico-chemical conditions encountered during this dynamic phase.

This type of meteorite is highly sought after because it can accurately reveal unknown minerals with potential industrial applications, both military and civilian.

The Meteor was sent back to China where, according to recent reports, it is looking for a buyer, leaving the possibility of acquiring new models open for the time being.