The Meteorite Search is Completed: UrFU expedition Brought Five Fragments from the Lipetsk Region

13:09, July 5, 2018

The largest one weights 550 grams

The search group of Ural Federal University returned to Ekaterinburg with meteorites found in the Lipetsk Region. In total, they found five fragments.

On June 21, in Chernozemye at 4:16 Moscow time, a bolide entered the Earth atmosphere. On NASA's website, the flash power is registered as 2.8 kilotons. The bolide had a very steep trajectory of 79 degrees, the speed at the entrance to the atmosphere was 14 km/s, the flash is fixed at an altitude of 27 km.

‘We started the research on the arrival of the group. First, we should determine the exact type and classification, then engage in its registration. It is already known that this is chondrite, most likely chondrite of H-type; and there is evidence of its impacts in space. What unusual about this bolide is the fact that it fell almost vertically, so the orbit calculation will be very interesting. In addition, a stone meteorite consists of many minerals. We will do microscopy, chemical analysis, study mechanical characteristics, etc.,’ comments the results of the expedition UrFU professor Victor Grokhovsky.

In total, in the Lipetsk region UrFU Meteoritic Expedition discovered 1.2 kg of matter, the largest fragment weights 550 grams. The first fragment in the size of 3 cm has been found on Monday, on June 25. The expedition includes members of the scientific laboratory Extra terra consortium Grigory Yakovlev, Alexander Pastukhovich, Yevgenia Petrova and a volunteer Alexey Usenkov. The possible place of the fall was calculated by associate professors of UrFU Institute of Physics and Technology Nikolai Kruglikov, Mikhail Larionov in collaboration with the colleagues from Helsinki University. Stas Korotkiy, an employee of the observatory "Ka-Dar", the director of AstroAlert helped to connect with eyewitnesses and calculate the trajectory of the fall.

This is the second case of successful meteorite searches initiated thank to the evolving network of bolide network, a number of video cameras installed in Russian and Finnish cities that record the fall of celestial bodies. The first discovery was made in 2014 when analyzing the trajectory of the fall of the Kolskiy bolide (Annam's meteorite).

The meteorite found in the Lipetsk Region has not yet received a name. Various variants of the name are proposed: Lipetsk, Yeletsky, Ozerki, Bunin, Zlobin. We will find out what the International Nomenclature Committee will approve after a few months.

‘The collection of meteorites provides matter of unearthly origin for research by scientists. This is a rich material for our graduate students. We have opened the first in Russia Mater’s program focusing on meteorite research "Instruments and methods of space mineralogy,’ says Professor Grokhovsky.

University scientists organize the first international congress of the meteorite on July 22 - 27. The presentation of studies of meteorites found in the Lipetsk region will be held during the congress.