Meteorite: probably originates from the belt between Mars and Jupiter

Meteorite researcher Markus Patzek from the University of Münster assumes that the meteorite comes from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which is around 300 to 500 million kilometers from the sun. Exact calculations are currently underway. “The images clearly indicate a stone meteorite,” he says.

He doesn’t want to speculate about the composition. However, the material poses no danger. “The Earth’s environment is rather dangerous for the sample,” says the meteorite researcher. Due to the high humidity, the fragments weathered quickly. Astronomy expert Paul Hombach also assumes that the photos are a stone meteorite. “With iron you would see the fusion structures,” he says.

“It’s faster than anything humans can move.”

Using the videos, meteorite researcher Patzek can quickly narrow down the phenomenon. In the meantime there was speculation as to whether a plane had crashed or a rocket had flown past. However, the Professor of Experimental and Analytical Planetology immediately dispelled these rumors: “It was immediately obvious: This was too fast for other objects.” A meteor can travel at 40 to 50 kilometers per second. “This is faster than anything that humans move,” says the expert from the Institute for Planetary Sciences (IfP) in Münster.

If the body enters the atmosphere from space, it is slowed down and mass evaporates. This causes the object to literally burst and break apart. The result: “More energy is released through combustion.” The resulting glow is called a meteor. Many people were then able to observe the luminous phenomenon in the sky. The fireball was visible for around ten seconds and smoke could be seen along its trajectory for several minutes. Some observers also heard banging noises.

Finds in the gram range

Based on the first published photos, astronomy expert Hombach suspects finds in the gram range. Based on the recordings about the Allsky7 network It is possible that a debris field can be identified. Data from the Meteor Working Group It can be seen that the meteor’s trajectory ran from southwest to northeast around 6:55 p.m. German time: It flew from the area around Verdun in France via Luxembourg past Trier to Koblenz.

Such sightings are not that rare for meteorite researchers; they occur once or twice a year in Germany. Several points make Sunday’s incident a special event for experts: meteorite discoveries are rarer than observations.

The two experts unanimously say that buildings are damaged even more rarely. In 2019, fragments of a meteorite were found in a Flensburg garden, and in 2023 researchers recovered, among other things, a 3.7 kilogram chunk near Elmshorn.

The impacts are just as surprising for the researchers as they are for everyone else, says Patzek: “You can never predict it.” In one case in Ribbeck in Brandenburg, a short-term warning was possible. But meteoroids, the name for the objects in the solar system, are difficult to observe in orbit. “They are too small to be easily detectable,” says the researcher.

Researchers collect information

That is why the good and extensive documentation of the most recent event is considered particularly exciting by experts. Patzek and his colleagues are currently still in the process of compiling all the information and hope to be able to quickly examine samples.

The IfP in Münster is examining them with partners across Europe in order to precisely determine the type of meteorite. To do this, they examine the object and look at the molten crust, the texture and the internal structure. Under the microscope, chemical and isotopic data on the material could be collected using a thin section. A few grams of homogenized powder were enough for further insights.

Small-scale investigations

The changes caused by cosmic radiation can be traced using gamma spectroscopy. Because these radioactive isotopes decayed when they entered the atmosphere, the fragments found could be assigned to such a case. “There are many pieces of the puzzle to identify a rock and check whether it comes from a specific body in the solar system,” describes Patzek. Compiling the data and publishing the findings could take up to a year.

The meteorite researcher advises recovering possible finds quickly and storing them in an airtight bag. “That helps us immensely,” he says. The IfP in Münster is also happy to receive photos of fragments. Patzek is via email markus.patzek@uni-muenster.de reachable.