Scientists at the University of Münster in Germany identified a celestial body that fell near Flensburg in September 2019. It turned out that this is not just a meteorite, but the “germ” of the planet – planetesimal, the University of Muenster reports.
The space “guest” was discovered by a local resident in his garden. The weight of the fragment covered with a black melted crust was only 24.7 grams.
The find was studied by representatives of one and a half dozen universities and research centers. Analyzes showed that the rock contains minerals, including silicates and carbonates.
It is known that such substances arose at the very beginning of the history of the solar system on small protoplanets, where water was also present. Many scientists believe that it was the planetesimals that once brought moisture to our Earth.
The authors of the study said that this is the first case of the fall of such a cosmic body in Germany. Its age can be 4.56 billion years or more – that is, it is the same age as the Earth. In the past, it really contained liquid water – this confirms the theory of moisture saturated planetesimals.
Scientists intend to continue to study the object. In their opinion, it may reveal unknown details of the history of the formation of planets in the solar system.
