A Splashy Meteorite Was Forged in Multiple Collisions
By Damond Benningfield, Eos/AGU.
Excerpt: The Winchcombe meteorite splashed into headlines on 28 February 2021, when it streaked above Gloucestershire, England, and broke apart in the atmosphere. Its largest chunk hit a driveway in the village of Winchcombe and splattered into thousands of pieces. ...Analysis of the meteorite and video of its descent revealed that its parent meteoroid was probably 20–30 centimeters in diameter when it hit the atmosphere, with a mass of about 13 kilograms. ...The research team’s analyses revealed that the meteorite contains eight rock types, all of which show evidence of having been altered by water. ...In addition to revealing the asteroid’s history, the lab work also supported the suggestion that CM and other carbonaceous chondrites supplied young Earth with water and organic compounds....