It came from outer space: the meterorite that landed in a Cotswolds cul-de-sac
Meteorite falls are extremely rare and offer a glimpse of the processes that formed our world billions of years ago. When a space rock came to an English market town in 2021, scientists raced to find as much out as they could
At 21.54 on 28 February 2021, 16 cameras belonging to amateur sky-watching network UKMON picked up a bright shape headed towards Earth. Pictures show a long white line, which was visible for eight minutes, a glowing globule of light against the dark sky. “For me it’s like fishing,” said Richard Kacerek, one of the founders of UKMON. “You cast your line and then you wait. There are days when you catch nothing but there are days when you catch a really, really big fish and it’s so exciting.” The fireball of February 2021 was such a fish: a lump of flaming extraterrestrial rock travelling at a speed of about 8.4 miles a second – 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet – and headed for the Cotswolds market town of Winchcombe.
Meteorites are rocks from space that have entered our atmosphere. Most were once part of asteroids – the rocky, airless remnants left over from the formation of our solar system 4.6bn years ago. Almost all of them are what collectors call “finds”, meaning that the stone has been discovered by searching the ground, having fallen earlier – in most cases several thousand years earlier. A “fall”, a meteorite that is seen in flight and then recovered, is very, very rare. Worldwide, typically only about 10 such rocks are picked up each year. Before 2021, the last reported UK fall was a rock the size of a cricket ball that landed in a hedge in Glatton in Cambridgeshire in May 1991.
Continue reading...-
Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space
Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.BBC News - 20h -
After new CIA finding, China says 'extremely unlikely' COVID-19 came from a lab
China on Monday dismissed the possibility that the virus that caused COVID-19 leaked from a lab, after the CIA said it now favors the so-called lab leak theory over natural transmission. “It is ...The Hill - Jan. 27 -
China says it's "extremely unlikely" COVID pandemic came from lab leak
China says it's "extremely unlikely" that COVID-19 came from a lab, after the CIA said it believed, though with low confidence, that it did, rather than from natural transmission.CBS News - Jan. 27 -
Bill Gates-Backed Stoke Space Lands $260 Million to Build Out a Fully Reusable Rocket
The rocket startup is eying a niche in the medium-lift launch market.Inc. - Jan. 17 -
A Glowing Metal Ring Crashed to Earth. No One Knows Where It Came From
The 1,100-pound mystery object landed in Kenya at the end of December. Experts are still baffled.Wired - Jan. 11 -
Satellite videos show explosive growth of California fires from space
Timelapse footage published by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere shows how the Palisades and Eaton Fires ignited and rapidly grew over the last two days.CBS News - Jan. 8 -
Satellite images of LA fires show "heat blooms" from space
Satellite imagery captured the rapid growth of the fires burning in Los Angeles County. KCAL assignment manager Mark Liu shares infrared satellite data, which shows heat signatures and activity ...CBS News - Jan. 8
More from The Guardian
-
Trump says Palestinians should permanently leave Gaza as he meets with Netanyahu – live
Hamas official says Trump comments ‘a recipe for creating chaos’; Trump earlier signed executive order to withdraw US from UN human rights council. Trump says Palestinians have ‘no alternative’ ...The Guardian - 14m -
Swedish police say about 10 people dead in Örebro campus attack
Victims still being identified after what Sweden’s PM says was the worst mass shooting in the country’s history. Police have said “10 or so” people have been killed and six others taken to hospital ...The Guardian - 2h -
Democrats and protesters rally outside treasury department to protest Elon Musk’s access to sensitive information – live
Democrats also unveiled a bill, called Stop the Steal, to counter the billionaires ‘shadow government’ amid concerns of his access to federal government information. As the clock nears midnight in ...The Guardian - 11m -
Temperatures at north pole 20C above average and beyond ice melting point
Scientists say unusually mild temperatures linked to low-pressure system over Iceland directing strong flow of warm air towards north pole. Temperatures at the north pole soared more than 20C above ...The Guardian - 6h -
Trump administration says it has begun deporting migrants to Guantánamo Bay
Press secretary says at least two deportation flights to Cuban base of undocumented immigrants ‘under way’. The Trump administration has begun flying undocumented immigrants from the US to a ...The Guardian - 3h
More in World
-
Democrats and protesters rally outside treasury department to protest Elon Musk’s access to sensitive information – live
Democrats also unveiled a bill, called Stop the Steal, to counter the billionaires ‘shadow government’ amid concerns of his access to federal government information. As the clock nears midnight in ...The Guardian - 11m -
Trump says Palestinians should permanently leave Gaza as he meets with Netanyahu – live
Hamas official says Trump comments ‘a recipe for creating chaos’; Trump earlier signed executive order to withdraw US from UN human rights council. Trump says Palestinians have ‘no alternative’ ...The Guardian - 14m -
Government to spend extra £200mn on flood defences in England
Environment secretary Steve Reed tells FT previous Tory administration committed a ‘dereliction of duty’Financial Times - 18m -
FirstFT: China hits back against Trump’s tariffs
Also in today’s newsletter, Microsoft poaches DeepMind staff behind AI podcasting feature, and FBI agents sue Trump administrationFinancial Times - 28m -
West Bank? Call It Judea and Samaria, Some Republicans Say.
President Trump’s return has emboldened supporters of Israeli annexation of the occupied territory who want to mandate the use of language reflecting that view. Opponents of annexation say the term ...The New York Times - 36m