Meteorite hit may hold clues to life’s origin: GSI

THE METEORITE HAD LANDED NEAR JAIPUR ON JUNE 6 LAST YEAR, CREATING A 6FEET DEEP CRATER ON AN AGRICULTURAL PLOT

NEWDELHI: A meteorite that fell in a Rajasthan village in June 2017 could unravel many mysteries behind the origin of life and provide clues to how the solar system has evolved through billions of years, Geological Survey of India (GSI) said Monday.

“The meteorite belongs to a very rare and primitive group called CM group of carbonaceous chondrites. An estimated 44 tonnes of meteoritic material hits the earth every day, but less than 5% of these belong to this group,” said G Vidyasar, additional director of GSI.

The meteorite had landed in Mukundpura near Jaipur early morning on June 6, 2017 creating a 6-feet deep crater in an agricultural land. Eyewitnesses described it as a bright reddish-yellow fireball coming from the western sky and triggering a loud noise when it hit the ground. The local police had recovered around 2.2 kilos of the meteorite and handed it over to the GSI.

What is of interest to the scientists is that the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, unlike other meteorites, contain primitive traces of carbon. Carbon forms the backbone of all life on earth.

“This meteorite could be carrying some of the most pristine primordial matter recovered from space as it is made up of materials, which were formed during the early stages of the formation of the solar system. A detailed analysis could provide clues about the origin of life and the formation and evolution of the solar system,” said Dwijesh Ray, a scientist with the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, who also studied this rock from the space.

Scientists said that the presence of volatile organic compounds and water indicates that they have not undergone any significant changes while entering the earth’s atmosphere.