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Space
Space
Science
Keith Cooper

Iconic British meteorite 'Winchcombe' found to have a smashing past

A chunk of gray rock.

The Winchcombe meteorite, which fell to the ground in Gloucestershire in the U.K. after blazing a trail through the night sky on Feb. 28, 2021, came from an asteroid that had been heavily altered by water as well as smashed apart and reformed multiple times.

That's the conclusion of a detailed analysis of the meteorite, fragments of which were found scattered in fields near the village of Winchcombe, and even on one family's driveway. It was the first meteorite fall in the U.K. to be retrieved since 1991. Thanks to the U.K. Fireball Alliance's network of video cameras watching the sky, as well as eyewitness reports, scientists were able to triangulate the approximate area in which the meteorite had fallen. 

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