Scottish hillwalkers are being asked to assist academics at the University of Glasgow to locate meteorite fragments in the Ben Alder area to help determine the origins of the Earth and other planets in our Solar System.
Meteorites are time capsules that give scientists a unique insight into the origins of our planet. They add to our understanding of the Earth and how its structure has the properties that enable us to exist.
The burning light of an exploding meteor was seen from the Isle of Lewis to Edinburgh and was captured on many cameras as it shot across the sky in the early hours of 3 July. Researchers from the UK Fireball Alliance identified a 20km (12.4 mile) area near Dalwhinnie where fragments of rock are likely to have landed.
How to collect meteorite fragments
Dr Aine O’Brien of Glasgow University appealed to hillwalkers to “look, locate but do not touch”.
‘’If someone is lucky enough to bag a meteorite while bagging a Munro ( Ben Alder) we’re asking them to take a photo and take a note of their GPS and send it to the UK Fireball Alliance. If it’s small enough to be picked up, please try not to handle it directly – wrapping it in aluminum foil or a clean sandwich bag would be very helpful. If it’s too big to carry, the GPS location will help us recover it later.”
The meteorite should be easy to spot on the hillside due to its black, shiny almost glassy appearance. With a 30% iron content it will be dense and of a rusty colour. Any meteorite fragment should be easily distinguishable from the surrounding granite of the region.
Bylines Scotland would like to hear from any hillwalker who is successful in bagging a meteorite fragment as well as a Munro. Good luck!
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