The Winchcombe meteorite, a rare carbonaceous meteorite which crashed to Earth in early 2021, has been found to contain extra-terrestrial water and organic compounds that reveal insights into the origin of Earth's oceans.
A new study by specialists from across the world - including experts from the University of Plymouth's Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre (PEMC) - reports the orbital history and first laboratory analyses of the meteorite.
Work to analyse the meteorite began within days of it landing onto a driveway in Gloucestershire, and its rapid recovery was enabled by public reports and video footage captured by the UK Fireball Alliance (UKFAll).
Dr Natasha Stephen, Director of the Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre, was the third scientist on the scene after the meteorite was reported and has since worked alongside colleagues Dr Jen Mitchell and Francesca Willcocks as part of the analysis team.
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