Never seen before, two extraterrestrial minerals are found on Earth

A fascinating event surprised a group of scientists when a space rock fell over Somalia. By carefully analyzing the meteorite, researchers made extraordinary discoveries, revealing the presence of at least two minerals that had never been found in nature.

Two extraterrestrial minerals are found in meteorite

Image: Nick Gessler/Duke University

The intriguing journey of discovery began when the meteorite was identified, catching the attention of renowned scientist Herd.

He immediately turned to his colleague Andrew Locock, an expert in Geology, to take a closer look at this mysterious space rock. In a short period of study, Locock confirmed the presence of at least two new minerals in the sample.

Naming new minerals

Impressed by the new discoveries, Herd decided to name the newly found minerals in honor of the meteorite and a distinguished professor specializing in terrestrial planetary evolution, Lindy Elkins-Tanton.

Thus, the new minerals were named elaliita It is elkinstantoniterepresenting an important milestone in understanding the elements present in celestial bodies.

Connection with NASA

Professor Lindy Elkins-Tanton is not only known for her research into terrestrial planetary evolution, but also for her role as vice-president of Interplanetary Initiative at Arizona State University and principal investigator on the Psyche mission of NASA.

The Psyche mission aims to explore a large asteroid rich in metals. When faced with the new minerals, Locock realized that they had already been produced in terrestrial laboratories before, which made the identification of these artificial substances easier.

The existence of elaliite and elkinstantonite remained unknown in nature. Its discovery opens doors to new possibilities for research and understanding outer space.

A new era of space exploration

Although the meteorite was found in 2020, research is only now achieving significant results.

El Ali, as it was named, is composed mainly of iron and nickel and is considered one of the largest meteorites already found on our surface.

Studies continue and the expectation is that more accurate and exciting information about this asteroid be revealed in subsequent research.