- A rare find with a distinctive smell
The Meteoroid that fell to Earth near Berlin in January is about 4.5 billion years old and belongs to the rare class of aubrites. An international research team led by German scientists reports this in the journal "Meteoritics & Planetary Science". The group also explains why the fragments smelled strongly of rotten eggs.
A Fireball in the Sky
The tiny asteroid 2024 BX1 burned up in the night sky on January 20-21, putting on a spectacular show near Berlin. The pieces fell to the ground in the Brandenburg region of Havelland. Scientists and collectors later discovered numerous meteorites. Meteorites are the chunks that come from a celestial body to Earth.
Now, an international team led by researchers from the Institute of Planetary Research at the University of Münster has provided details about the meteorite they named after the discovery site, "Ribbeck". As the group writes, 202 fragments with a total weight of 1.8 kilograms were found. The strewn field near the Brandenburg villages of Ribbeck, Berge, and Lietzow was 1.5 by 10 kilometers in size.
The search for remnants of the celestial body began unusually quickly, as NASA had announced the asteroid's entry. However, scientists and collectors initially faced a challenge, as quoted in a statement about the study: "Usually, one looks for black stones during meteorite hunting. However, the Ribbeck fragments did not have a consistently dark fusion crust due to their mineralogy and composition." This is why many pieces were overlooked in the first few days until this peculiarity was recognized.
A Meteoroid with a Special Status
The study confirms that "Ribbeck" belongs to the extremely rare meteorite class of aubrites - a conclusion also reached by the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in February after examining more than 20 samples. Worldwide, there are only twelve known cases of aubrites.
Aubrites are rich in magnesium and silicon, with "Ribbeck" having a special status in its class: The rock has an exceptionally high content of feldspars - a mineral belonging to the group of silicates.
The research group assumes that the parent body of "Ribbeck" is about 4.5 billion years old and comes from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Moreover, the scientists also provide an explanation for why the fragments smelled strongly of hydrogen sulfide - an odor similar to that of rotten eggs. Chemical reactions between the mineral phases and the moisture caused by snow and thawing created this odor and altered the mineralogy of the rock.
The Commission, acknowledging the significance of the discovery, shall adopt a decision to classify the Ribbeck meteorite as an aubrite, further recognizing its unique mineralogy and historical significance. Due to the unusual odor emitted by the fragments, the Commission also encourages further research into the chemistry of meteorites and the impact of environmental factors on their composition.
