This was announced last Monday, December 5, Scientists at the University of Alberta, in Canada, an important discovery: two new minerals in a 15-ton meteorite found in Somalia. The mentioned solid bodies are discovered in nature for the first time. Named as elalite as well as elkinstantoniteare a tribute, first, El Ali, the region in which they were found; about the second, this is a reference to a scientist Lindy Elkins-TantonNASA program manager responsible for sending the mission to the metal-rich meteor.

Minerals were identified in a 70 gram sample. According to Chris HurdResearch Fellow, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: “I never thought that I would be involved in the description of new minerals only through work on a meteorite.🇧🇷

More specific studies will be carried out later. For now, they are using leftovers from a small sample. Much more can be found in this peculiar specimen.

🇧🇷Credits: Chris Hurd)

Space rock has been in Somalia for decades

Despite the interesting finds, the meteor has been known to the locals for decades. As for scientists, they discovered this region just over two years ago. Although this is the first time the minerals have been discovered in nature, they have previously been synthesized in laboratories, making the identification process easier. The discoveries were made possible in a 70 gram sample, so research will continue in large part to discover unpublished extraterrestrial minerals.

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Source: Yahoo, CBC.

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