Russian scientists discovered traces of the influence of high temperatures that appeared long before the meteorite fall on our planet.
Experts carefully studied several dozen fragments of space stone, which on February on February fell on the Chelyabinsk region. Each of them has traces of swimming and crystallization, which arose as a result of a chondrit explosion at the time of entering the Earth’s atmosphere. However, according to experts, on separate fragments there are more old traces of melting that could appear in the process of envelope of the sun.
Novosibirsk researchers have been interested in the Chelyabinsk meteorite for several months. It was the employees of the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, among the first, they established a detailed composition of the celestial body, and then determined the presence of unique nanocrystals in it. Now scientists have revealed traces of solar exposure on fragments. On individual fragments, according to researchers, there are traces of melting and oxidation.
Experts have already talked about their finds to the conference of the European Geochemical Association, which took place in Italy a few days ago. The report of the authors notes that they discovered three parts of a meteorite with traces of melting. Information about what part of the asteroid was exposed to the sun may appear after its rise from Lake Chebarkul.
As you know, an explosion of a meteorite in the sky over the Chelyabinsk region occurred on February fifteenth of this year. A series of flashes and a shock wave were recorded in Chelyabinsk, Miass, Magnitogorsk, Kopeisk, Chebarkule, Zlatoust and other settlements. In seven thousand thousand buildings, glasses flew out of the windows, fragments caused injuries of varying severity to one and a half thousand people. Shards of the celestial body scattered several kilometers, but the main part of the asteroid, according to experts, rests at the bottom of Lake Chebarkul.