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| Tracked asteroid debris collected | Tracked asteroid debris collected |
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| Debris from an asteroid tracked as it fell to Earth has been recovered by scientists for the first time, says a report in the science journal Nature. | Debris from an asteroid tracked as it fell to Earth has been recovered by scientists for the first time, says a report in the science journal Nature. |
| Nearly 50 fragments of the asteroid were collected from the desert in Sudan where it fell last October. | Nearly 50 fragments of the asteroid were collected from the desert in Sudan where it fell last October. |
| Scientists say the discovery offers a unique opportunity to study the asteroid's route and chemical make-up. | Scientists say the discovery offers a unique opportunity to study the asteroid's route and chemical make-up. |
| It will also give new insights into how to tackle any larger asteroids heading towards Earth in the future. | It will also give new insights into how to tackle any larger asteroids heading towards Earth in the future. |
| The car-sized lump of rock, known as 2008 TC3, was detected by astronomers in the US state of Arizona in October last year. | The car-sized lump of rock, known as 2008 TC3, was detected by astronomers in the US state of Arizona in October last year. |
| To actually see this object before it gets to the Earth's atmosphere and then follow it in, that's the unique thing Douglas Rumble | To actually see this object before it gets to the Earth's atmosphere and then follow it in, that's the unique thing Douglas Rumble |
| It was tracked by telescopes around the world until it disintegrated in the atmosphere above the Nubian desert region of Sudan. | It was tracked by telescopes around the world until it disintegrated in the atmosphere above the Nubian desert region of Sudan. |
| Peter Jenniskens, author of the report and a scientist at the Seti Institute in California, then travelled to Sudan with a team of researchers to try to locate what remained of the asteroid. | Peter Jenniskens, author of the report and a scientist at the Seti Institute in California, then travelled to Sudan with a team of researchers to try to locate what remained of the asteroid. |
| An extensive ground search turned up 47 meteorite fragments for analysis. | An extensive ground search turned up 47 meteorite fragments for analysis. |
| "This asteroid was made of a particularly fragile material that caused it to explode at a high 37km (23 miles) altitude, before it was significantly slowed down," said Dr Jenniskens. | "This asteroid was made of a particularly fragile material that caused it to explode at a high 37km (23 miles) altitude, before it was significantly slowed down," said Dr Jenniskens. |
| "This was a meteorite that was not in our collection, a completely new material." | "This was a meteorite that was not in our collection, a completely new material." |
| 'Unique' | 'Unique' |
| The report's co-author, Douglas Rumble of the Carnegie Institution, said many meteorites had been observed before as they burned up on entering the Earth's atmosphere. | The report's co-author, Douglas Rumble of the Carnegie Institution, said many meteorites had been observed before as they burned up on entering the Earth's atmosphere. |
| The trails left by the space rock as it descended were clear to see | |
| "It's been happening for years," he said. "But to actually see this object before it gets to the Earth's atmosphere and then follow it in, that's the unique thing." | "It's been happening for years," he said. "But to actually see this object before it gets to the Earth's atmosphere and then follow it in, that's the unique thing." |
| When meteorites that have fallen to Earth are studied, researchers rarely have direct information of where the asteroid came from or what type it was. | When meteorites that have fallen to Earth are studied, researchers rarely have direct information of where the asteroid came from or what type it was. |
| The researchers studying 2008 TC3 say it was one of a very rare type of meteorite called ureilites, which may have originated from a single parent body. | The researchers studying 2008 TC3 say it was one of a very rare type of meteorite called ureilites, which may have originated from a single parent body. |
| After comparing the data on the asteroid and the fragments found in Sudan, they say 2008 TC3 may be relatively young, having spent only a few million years in the inner solar system. | After comparing the data on the asteroid and the fragments found in Sudan, they say 2008 TC3 may be relatively young, having spent only a few million years in the inner solar system. |