Extraterrestrial Mineral Discovered Inside Meteorite
Scientists have discovered an exotic alien mineral that does not occur naturally anywhere on Earth.
The discovery was made following a new analysis of the Wedderburn meteorite – a ‘lemon-sized’ space rock that was found back in 1951 near Wedderburn in Victoria, Australia.
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology used an electron-beam microscope and electron probe to determine the chemical composition and crystal structure of the meteorite’s interior.
They determined that it contained a previously unseen mineral found nowhere else on Earth.
The new mineral has since been named ‘edscottite’ after scientist Edward R.D. Scott.
The meteorite itself is thought to have been part of a small planet that was shattered into pieces when it collided with another object during the early days of the solar system.
“Every mineral has a voice and its own story to tell,” said study lead author Chi Ma.
“Each new E.T. mineral represents a distinctive formation environment and can provide insights into processes active in the solar nebula, on asteroids, the moon and Mars.”
Unexplained-Mysteries
