World’s ‘largest’ meteorite disappeared in 1916; understand what happened

In mid-1916, A 4.5 kilogram sample was taken from a huge iron meteorite (or mesosiderite) approximately 100 meters wide in Africabut ‘disappeared’ shortly after its discovery. Unfortunately, little information has been published about the rock, so there is no confirmation yet of the existence of the largest meteorite supposedly ever found on Earth.

A new study led by scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford in the UK suggests using magnetic anomaly mapping to find it – the stone is also known as the Chinguetti meteorite. The paper has not yet gone through the peer review process but has already been published on the arXiv preprint server.

Since it was first reported, many scientists have tried to search the area where the sample was taken, but no one has been able to find it. Originally Chinguetti meteorite It was discovered by French consular officer Gaston Ripert when a local community leader blindfolded him and took him to the site where the stone was found.

“The giant Chinguetti meteorite that Gaston Ripert reported seeing in 1916 was never found. Radionuclide analysis by Welten (2001) of 4.5 kg of mesosiderite that Ripert had collected and placed in the supposedly larger object convinced many that Ripert was wrong, and interest in the giant meteorite subsequently waned.

The world’s largest meteorite?

Although scientists do not know the location of the largest meteorite ever discovered on Earth, the piece Ripert collected from the rock was analyzed in a 2001 study. After chemical analysis of the material, The results showed that the fragment could not be extracted from a rock with a volume greater than 1.6 meters in diameter.

As the new paper explains, scientists use digital elevation models, radar data, previous research and interviews with local people to locate the area where the rock was supposedly removed.

Action still needs to be taken Magnetometric survey to determine the likely location of the alleged Chinguetti meteorite. So do you believe that the cosmic rock exists?

“Examination of PRISM-I aeromagnetic data in the area south of Chinguetti… may finally resolve the question of the existence of the Chinguetti meteorite once and for all. If the result is negative, Ripert’s explanation of the story will remain unresolved, but the problems of ductile needles and the accidental discovery of mesosiderite will remain.” [desconhecidos]”, the study concludes.

Did you like the content? So, keep up with the latest news about meteors at TecMundo. If you want, take the opportunity to find out what your chances of getting hit by a meteor are.