Meteorite Discovered in Assam may Hold Clues to Life

GUWAHATI: A piece of rock that fall from the sky in the Golaghat district of Assam may help to reveal the secrets of the origins of life on planet Earth.

The meteorite which was discovered in Kamargaon of the Golaghat district of the state of Assam is believed to be a part of a much larger asteroid. The large asteroid was part of the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter before it disintegrated into several pieces under impact. The meteorite under study is one of those smaller pieces. It had fallen to the earth's surface seven years back in 2015.

According to a report, experts at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur mentioned that they have found evidence of vesicles in the minerals of the meteorite. Researchers from the Hiroshima University in Japan and the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad are also a part of this study. This is the first time that it has been discovered in any chondrite meteorites from the other solar system. And it may contain some clues regarding the origin of life on the planet.

The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets and it mentioned that this meteorite has the first occurrence of vesicular olivine and pyroxene in an ordinary chondrite. The paper also mentioned that the impacts on the surface of planets and asteroids are among the most fundamental processes needed for the formation and evolution of celestial bodies.

The presence of vesicles in the meteorite is evidence of the presence of volatile elements in it. They are formed when these elements melt under high temperatures and pressure and attempt to leave the solid body. And volatile elements including sulphur, sodium, manganese and iron are very crucial elements in the origin and the evolution of life.

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