They were identified by scientists at the University of Alberta who looked at a 70g fragment from the 15-tonne meteorite, which is said to be the ninth-biggest to reach our planet and is about 90% iron and nickel.

[removed]

Nickel prices are pretty high right now, how do they decide who gets rights to the meteorite?

Oof. Missed the chance for a play off 'vibranium'

[removed]

They're minerals, Marie. I must have told you a hundred times.

Why would there be any discussion about it ? It is in Somalia it belongs to Somalians. The rock seems to have some significance locally as well

> Canadian researchers said the rock was found in rural Somalia two years ago, but locals believe it is much older. > They call the stone Nightfall, and say it is documented in poems, songs and dances that stretch back five generations. It is used today to sharpen knives.

You don't think there should be a discussion about who would potentially profit off of this meteorite in fucking Somalia?

Do these minerals tell us about the conditions where the meteorite originated from or are they formed during entry/impact?

[removed]

"Somalia" is a pretty broad term for ownership. What cut does the actual landowner get etc, lol.

They tell us where it’s from

Thank you. Somehow I was not sure.

How would anyone in this sub know the answer to that question. And if someone did answer would you believe their response?

Nightfall? That's badass.

Damn it we really need a space mining industry, I hope I get to see that before I die.

Edit* This is what they found.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaliite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elkinstantonite

and sadly " The future of the meteorite is uncertain as it has been shipped to China presumably for sale"

Helo, am somalan grandpa, for reward of trust i grant prize of meteor piece, please giv all your funds to complet!

Thank you, finally some clarity.

Do I get a say in who owns the oil sands in Alberta?

I found that "All meteorites come from inside our solar system. Most of them are fragments of asteroids that broke apart long ago in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. Such fragments orbit the Sun for some time–often millions of years–before colliding with Earth."

Someone already shipped it off to China to sell. I can’t find info about who though, doesn’t seem like it was the researchers

Is Alberta a failed state?

> Why would there be any discussion about it ? It is in Somalia it belongs to Somalians.

Well historically speaking all minerals and oil in Africa ultimately belong to english speaking white men.

[removed]

[removed]

[deleted]

Yeah, if you find an ancient meteor named “Nightfall”, you leave it right the fuck where you find it and go hug your family

Hey now, the Chinese have quite a stake in Africa. The biggest, i think.

They named the minerals after the region in Somalia, so there’s props. But what is crazy to me is that both minerals were “discovered” when they were synthesized in a french lab 40 years ago. I guess they cant call them “minerals” if they aren’t naturally occurring so the spectacular part of this story is how they found what were previously only known as 2 completely random, man made compounds that have existed for eons in this meteor!

[removed]

It was shipped to China according to Wikipedia. So China

There are almost certainly interstellar meteorites, but they are probably exceedingly rare, and none have been identified yet, per se.

There's a much larger flux of space dust which lands on Earth, which can leave behind micro-meteorites, some of that dust is of interstellar origin.

[removed]

[removed]

This is even more interesting.

[removed]

[deleted]

Came here looking for a photo of the 15-ton meteorite. Disappointed.