Meteorite that landed in Cotswolds may solve mystery of Earth’s water

The origins of water have remained a subject of debate among scientists, even though it was crucial for the emergence of life.

Some of the most compelling evidence to date that water arrived on Earth from asteroids in the outer solar system has been provided by a rock that crashed on to a driveway.

The meteorite, one of the most pristine available for analysis, offered scientists a glimpse back through time to the original composition of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.

The theory is that the Earth was barren when it formed because the solar system was too hot for water to evaporate. The area where ice could form in the early solar system is located in the modern asteroid belt. It is thought that water could have arrived to Earth later in the day.

Water may have been brought on comets made of ice and dust.

There is a theory that asteroids made a leading contribution to water. Just hours after the fireball lit up the skies over the UK, most of the meteorite was recovered. One of the largest pieces was found on the driveway of the Wilcock family's home.

It is the first carbonaceous chondrite meteorite to have been found in the United Kingdom. It was collected before any rain and analysed immediately, making it a rare specimen.

The incoming meteorite was recorded by a number of cameras and doorbells, as well as dash cam videos, which gave scientists an accurate trajectory of where it came from. Most of the meteorites have been found without their impact being recorded. King said that the rocks came from space.

The analysis concluded that the meteorite came from an asteroid near Jupiter. The research found that the composition of water on Earth was similar to that of the water on the planet.

It is believed that asteroids were the main source of water on the Earth.

The Winchcombe meteorite contains important building blocks for the origin of life.

The composition of the Winchcombe meteorite is so pristinely preserved that the analysis suggests that similar asteroids have played a significant role in delivering the ingredients needed to kickstart oceans and life on early Earth.