When a rare meteorite falls, it springs amateur sky-watchers, scientists, and professional meteorite hunters into a treasure hunt. This piece by Helen Gordon adapted from her book focuses on the excitement surrounding the Winchcombe meteorite, and the scientists that employe methods akin to detective work trying to find the celestial debris.
Not only was there a meteorite in the bag, it looked to be a very, very unusual one: a carbonaceous chondrite. Comprising only about 4% of all meteorite falls, these are among the most primitive and pristine of space rocks. They are also rich in water and organic material. Some scientists believe that carbonaceous chondrites were responsible for delivering the first water to our planet. Without meteorites, so the theory goes, there would be no rivers or oceans, lakes or streams. Some also believe that the organic material they contain – amino acids and other prebiotic molecules – could have combined with simple molecules, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, to create the first proteins and RNA molecules: the blueprint to build and operate every living entity on Earth.