One-of-a-kind meteorite unveiled
University of Alberta
The depths of space are much closer to home following the
University of Alberta's acquisition of a meteorite that is
the only one of its kind known to exist on Earth! What makes
it so rare? The meteorite is 'pristine' – that is, still
frozen and uncontaminated – and so provides an invaluable
preserved record of material from when the solar system formed
4.57 billion years ago.
The Tagish Lake Meteorite is carbonaceous chondrite and,
as such, represents primitive material from which the solar
system formed. The meteorite is rich in pre-solar grains –
grains from other stars that were present near our solar system
when it formed. The meteorite contains primitive molecules
that are the building blocks of the components necessary for
life. The pristine state of the meteorite makes it especially
important for scientific research purposes; it presents an
unprecedented opportunity to look for extraterrestrial ices.
The University of Alberta, through the Department of Museums
and Collections Services and the Department of Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences, led a consortium of partners that, together, acquired
the pristine samples for mutual research and heritage interests.
These partners include the Department of Canadian Heritage,
the Royal Ontario Museum, Natural Resources Canada, and the
Canadian Space Agency.
Dr. Christopher Herd, the Curator of the University of Alberta
Meteorite Collection, will lead future research on the University's
approximately 650 grams of this unique extraterrestrial rock.
"What's fascinating about the Tagish Lake Meteorite
is that it enables us to probe the farthest reaches of our
solar system by studying material that has come to us,'
noted Dr. Herd, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
at the University of Alberta. The study of the meteorite has
the potential for revolutionizing our understanding of the
formation of the solar system. The meteorite fell on the frozen
surface of Tagish Lake, northern BC, in Canada on January
18, 2000.
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