Why shouldn't you touch a meteorite that has just fallen ?

Many meteorites crash into the ground of our planet. According to NASA, no less than 230 meteorites, weighing more than 10 grams and measuring between 2 and 10 centimeters, fall to earth every day.

It is therefore always possible to find one of these small pieces of rock from space, even if it is quite rare. The first instinct is to take it in hand, especially if you have seen it fall from the sky.

And yet, we must be careful not to do so. In fact, you risk burning yourself. Not by the effect of heat, but by that of cold. If, when entering the Earth's atmosphere, the friction of the air heats up the meteorites, this phenomenon lasts for a very short time.

And above all, it concerns only the surface of the object. The heart of the meteorite remains frozen, at around -22°F (-30°C) . A temperature cold enough to cause you that burning sensation.

But there is another danger, not for you this time, but for the meteorite. Indeed, you risk damaging this alien rock by handling it. In fact, the microbes of the skin, or other elements, can, in the long run, damage the surface and tarnish the crust of the object. This contact can also promote corrosion of the meteorite.

So what should be done? It is recommended to wrap it in clean aluminum foil or put it in an unused plastic bag. Of course, put on protective gloves before touching the meteorite.

If you can, take a picture of where you found it. This will be valuable information for scientists working on the issue.

what happens when you google the word meteorite ?

When you search for "météorite" on Google, a small animation appears. All you need to do is open your browser and type "meteorite" into the search engine. At that point, the animation should appear.

The small animation of a meteorite that appears when you search for "météorite" on Google is a hidden trick. The animated meteorite will streak across the search results before crashing into the corner of the screen, causing it to shake. It is not clear why Google has included this hidden trick, but it seems to be a fun and harmless Easter egg for users to discover.

Some interesting facts about meteorites

Here are some interesting facts about meteorites :

- A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon.

- A meteoroid is a chunk of space rock. When it burns up while entering the Earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteor. And if a piece of it lands, it’s called a meteorite.

- Millions of meteoroids travel through the Earth’s atmosphere every day, but most are small and burned up quickly. Very few reach the ground.

- Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid.

- Meteorites can tell us a lot about our own planet and the universe around us, making them vital scientific resources. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History boasts one of the largest museum collections of meteorites in the world, with over 45,000 specimens.

- Most meteorites burn up into dust before they reach Earth’s surface. Still, that ash and dust floats down eventually and makes for a lot of extra weight that the Earth must carry.

- Scientists classify meteorites based on their chemical makeup (the chemicals found in them).

- Comets are mostly made of dust and ice, like a dirty snowball. They are very old. As comets travel close to the Sun, some of the ice becomes a gas.

how are meteorites classified based on their chemical makeup ?

Meteorites are classified based on their chemical makeup, which includes the chemicals found in them. According to the currently used classification scheme, meteorites are divided into three main groups : chondrites, primitive achondrites, and achondrites.

The three main types of meteorites are irons, stones, and stony-irons, and they differ in their amount of iron-nickel metal and what they reveal about the early solar system. Iron meteorites are subdivided into classes both by chemical composition and structure. Structural classes are determined by studying their two-component iron-nickel alloys: kamacite and taenite. Stony-iron meteorites consist of almost equal parts iron-nickel metal and silicate minerals, while stony meteorites are dominantly composed of rocky material.