Эрдэмтэд солирын дотроос нарны аймгийн эхэн үеийн нөхцөлийг хадгалсан ховор бүрэлдэхүүн хэсгүүдийг олж илрүүлжээ.
2024 оны долдугаар сарын 16-нд АНУ-ын Нью-Жерси мужийн Хиллсборо хотын нэгэн байшингийн дээврийг цоолон унасан солир нь шинжлэх ухааны ховор олдвор боллоо. Тус солирын уналтыг бичлэгээр баталгаажуулж, даруй цуглуулж авсан нь судлаачдад дэлхийн орчны бохирдолд өртөөгүй, анхны шинж чанараа хадгалсан дээжийг шинжлэх боломжийг олгосон юм. Солирыг олсон иргэн хамгаалалтын бээлий ашиглан болгоомжтой хадгалсан нь лабораторийн нарийвчилсан шинжилгээ хийхэд чухал үүрэг гүйцэтгэжээ.
Science Advances сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн судалгаагаар, солирын бүтцээс эртний давстай усны үлдэгдэл болон амин хүчлүүд илэрсэн байна. Эдгээр эрдэс бодисууд нь солирын эх гараг болох астероид дотор усны оролцоотой үйл явц явагдаж байсныг нотолж байна. Судлаачид эдгээр амин хүчлийг дэлхийн гаралтай бус, харин сансраас ирсэн болохыг тогтоожээ.
NASA-гийн Ames Research Center болон SETI Institute-ийн одон орон судлаач Питер Женнискенсийн тайлбарласнаар, солирын уналтын бичлэг болон дээжийг цаг алдалгүй цуглуулсан нь түүнийг астероидын бүсэд хаанаас гаралтайг тогтоох боломжийг бүрдүүлсэн аж. Энэхүү олдвор нь нарны аймгийн үүслийн үед ус хэрхэн хувьсан өөрчлөгдөж, амьдралын үүсэлд хэрхэн нөлөөлсөн байж болохыг ойлгоход чухал ач холбогдолтой юм. Судлаач Майк Золенскийн тэмдэглэснээр, сансар огторгуй дахь усны түүхийг мөрдөх нь амьдралын эх үүсвэрийг судлах үндсэн түлхүүр болдог байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A meteorite that pierced the roof of a New Jersey home has become an unexpected scientific treasure after researchers identified signs of ancient salty water and rare organic compounds inside the rock. According to NASA and a study published in Science Advances, the unusually well-documented recovery is providing fresh evidence about the conditions that existed during the early history of the solar system.
The meteorite struck a home in Hillsborough, Somerset County, on July 16, 2024. While meteorites occasionally reach Earth’s surface, recoveries that include both a recorded fireball and a rapidly preserved sample remain uncommon.
One resident, an amateur astronomer, recognized that the object could have scientific value and carefully collected the fragments while wearing protective gloves before storing them safely. As explained by the NASA, that prompt response helped preserve the celestial fragment in a condition suitable for detailed laboratory analysis.
Rare Recovery Reveals a Meteorite’s Journey
Researchers combined multiple sources of evidence to reconstruct its history. Video recordings captured its path through the atmosphere, while laboratory examinations revealed its physical and chemical characteristics.
As mentioned by the study published in Science Advances, this combination enabled researchers to determine the meteorite’s most likely origin within the asteroid belt. Recovering a meteorite soon after impact also reduced the possibility of contamination from Earth’s environment, allowing scientists to study material that had remained largely unchanged since arriving on the planet.
Peter Jenniskens, the study’s lead author and a meteor astronomer at NASA’s Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute, emphasized the importance of such recoveries.
“When we have both a documented fireball and a quick recovery of its meteorite, we can learn not only what the rock is made of, but where it came from in the asteroid belt,” he said, according to NASA.
That level of documentation is not available for every meteorite, making the Hillsborough specimen particularly valuable for ongoing research.
Ancient Salty Water Preserved Inside the Rock
Microscopic analysis revealed mineral deposits formed by ancient brines that once flowed through the asteroid from which the meteorite originated. Scientists said those deposits preserve evidence of water-driven processes that occurred long before the meteorite reached Earth.
They also detected amino acids within those salty deposits. The study describes these compounds as rare on Earth and “likely extraterrestrial in origin.”
These findings are helping scientists investigate how water interacted with rocky bodies during the early stages of the solar system. The meteorite preserves chemical signatures that remained locked inside its parent asteroid for billions of years before eventually falling to Earth. Mike Zolensky, a meteorite researcher and co-author of the study, underscored the broader scientific interest in these discoveries.
“If you follow the water through the solar system, you’re actually following life,” he said. “Following the history of water through the solar system is an essential part of understanding the origin of life.”
They Knew the Meteorite Was Something Special
The people living in the Hillsborough home, who asked to remain anonymous, said they understood almost immediately that the object deserved careful preservation. Rather than treating the fragments as a curiosity, they chose to protect them so researchers could examine the sample. As reported by the ABC 6, the homeowners said,
“We knew almost immediately that what happened to us was incredibly rare and we felt a responsibility to preserve the meteorite for the scientific community.”
They also reflected on the unusual path the rock had taken before reaching their home, describing the experience as a rare connection between an ordinary household event and a much larger story unfolding across space.
“It’s still surreal to think that this meteorite traveled through space for millions of years before ending its journey in our home. The entire experience has been incredible, and we’re honored to have played a small part in advancing scientific understanding through its study,” they said.
Their decision to preserve the space rock gave scientists access to an exceptionally well-documented sample, allowing researchers to examine both its journey through space and the ancient chemical record it carried from the early solar system.
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