University Scientists Classify Meteorite Sample Found in Antarctica

16:53, December 22, 2021

Studies have shown the unique composition of the fragment minerals

Scientists of the Ural Federal University began a study of a meteorite fragment found in Antarctica. Specialists confirmed the cosmic origin of the sample, in the next two months it will be studied in more detail. Aleksandr Pastukhovich, head of the Ural Federal University Antarctic Meteorite Expedition team, told Interfax-Ural press  center about it yesterday.

"This sample is very interesting and unique. We conducted a number of studies: composition, mineralogy. All these data allow us to say that this is definitely a cosmic substance, but so far we cannot correctly classify it," Pastukhovich noted.

Scientists will have to determine the age and origin of the sample, and after the research is completed, an application will be sent to the meteorite community to register the find. The fragment was found by Ruslan Kolunin, a member of the Ural Federal University search team as part of the Russian Antarctic Expedition.

The Ural Federal University's Antarctic Meteorite Expedition team worked in November as part of the 67th Russian Antarctic Expedition, organized by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. The university's Antarctic mission was led by Ural Federal University researcher Aleksandr Pastukhovich, with Vitaly Lazo and Ruslan Kolunin, Roscosmos astronaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Kazan Federal University professor Danis Nurgaliyev and businessman Andrey Nazarov working as part of the team.