Meteorite from Tagish Lake
Meteorite from Tagish Lake
When evaluating the MASCam images, the scientists identified two different types of rock –one with sharp edges and smooth fractured surfaces, and a second with surfaces reminiscent of a cauliflower. The images of these somewhat crumpled surfaces, irradiated with light-emitting diodes acquired during the night, the researchers discovered bright mineral inclusions in the almost black rock matrix, reminiscent of mineral inclusions in meteorites from Lake Tagish (picture). On 18 January 2000, after the explosion of a large fireball over Canada, hundreds of small meteorites fell onto Earth and numerous fragments were found on the ice of the frozen lake that gave it its name. The ‘Tagish Lake Meteorites’ are very rare stone meteorites from the class of what are referred to as CI-Chondrites. The C stands for the chemical element carbon, and the ‘I’ for the similarity with the Ivuna meteorite from Tanzania. They are among the most primitive and oldest components of the Solar System, remnants of the first solid bodies formed in the primordial solar nebula. They are believed to have evolved into the bodies of the Solar System.
