Swiss researcher finds spectacular meteorite in Antarctica
A rare meteorite weighing 7.6kg has been uncovered in Antarctica by a researcher from the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich, together with scientists from Belgium and the US. They say the stone is of great importance for research.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Un investigador suizo halla un espectacular meteorito en la Antártida
“Finding a meteorite that’s larger than a fist is extraordinary,” said ETH Zurich earth scientist Maria Schönbächler, who was part of the Antarctica mission. Most meteorites found weigh only about 20 grams, she said.
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon.
“Meteorites are used for planetary exploration,” Schönbächler said. This is because the number of meteorites available for research is extremely limited. In Switzerland, for example, only 11 meteorites have been found since 2018. “That’s why 7.6kg more to analyse is a lot,” she explained.
The research team searched for meteorites in Antarctica from December 2022 to mid-January 2023. Using satellite images and GPS coordinates, they explored the potential of several areas. “Antarctica is suitable for meteorite finds because the black stones are easily visible on the white snow,” Schönbächler said.
She said that due to the migration of the glaciers, new meteorites would continue to be uncovered in the million-year-old ice. In addition to the large meteorite, the researchers also found several smaller ones.
In Brussels
The meteorite was transported frozen to Brussels, where it is being thawed under controlled conditions at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. “There are metals in a meteorite that can rust quickly,” Schönbächler explained. To avoid this, the water has to be drained off immediately during thawing.
Once thawed, the meteorite is precisely dated, she said. “We assume it’s about four-and-a-half billion years old.” The meteorite will then be available for further scientific studies.
More
More
Meteorite contains oldest material on Earth
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have helped determine that stardust from a meteorite is seven billion years old.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
This content was published on
The Bern Natural History Museum announced on Thursday that its search efforts, led by researcher Beda Hofmann, turned up more than 600 fragments over the past few years, in what is one of the three largest scatter fields in Europe. The Twannberg meteorite broke into hundreds of pieces when it entered earth’s atmosphere. It is…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.