Meteorite | Chondrite | Murchison | <0,1 g

Product detailed description

The Murchison meteorite is a meteorite weighing more than 100 kg that fell near the town of Murchison in Australia in 1969. It is one of the most studied meteorites because it contains large amounts of organic substances, including amino acids, the basic building blocks of proteins, and is therefore important for research into the origin of life.

In 2020, it was discovered that the silicon carbide dust grains from this meteorite are among the oldest materials found on Earth – some are up to 7.5 billion years old, older than the Earth and the Solar System.

The meteorite is a CM2 carbonaceous chondrite, a fragile stone meteorite rich in carbon, which usually disintegrates as it passes through the atmosphere. It contains both common amino acids (such as glycine and alanine) and those that are almost non-existent on Earth. Their composition suggests a predominantly extraterrestrial, abiotic origin.

Purine and pyrimidine bases, such as uracil, which are not of terrestrial origin, have also been found in it. This supports the idea that some of the building blocks of life may have arrived on Earth from space.

We currently have several pieces weighing less than 0.1 grams, so the image is illustrative.
The price of the meteorite includes a box and a certificate of authenticity.