A fragment of rock that has fallen to pieces in an English field is rare meteorite dating back approximately 4.6 billion years.Derek Robson, an English resident and director of astrochemistry for the East Anglian Astrophysical Research Organisation, (EAARO), discovered the meteorite in Gloucestershire in March. According to Loughborough University, the meteorite was found in the footprint of a horseshoe that had been left in a field.A carbonaceous chondrite is the space rock. This rare category makes up only 4% to 5 percent of all meteorites found on Earth. These meteorites are from the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter. They were formed in early times of the solar system's history. It is interesting to note that they often contain organic compounds or carbon-bearing compounds. These include the amino acids, which are the building blocks of all life. These meteorites may have clues as to how life first appeared in the solar system, raising questions.Related: 7 Strangest Asteroids: Weird Space Rocks in Our Solar SystemThis chunk of rock, unlike other space debris didn't suffer the intense heat and violent collisions that were involved in the creations of the planets and moons of the solar system.Instead, the meteorite "been sitting there, past Mars and untouched, since before any planets were created," Shaun Fowler of Loughborough University said in a statement. "This means we have the rare chance to examine a small piece of our primordial history."The rock is small and delicate, with a charcoal-colored color. It looks almost like a piece of crumbling concrete. Fowler stated that the meteorite consists mainly of minerals like olivine and phytollosilicates. He also mentioned round grains called chondrules which were partially molten beads that were incorporated into the asteroid's formation.Fowler stated that the composition of this meteorite is not like anything else you'd find on Earth. It could contain a previously unknown chemistry or structure, which Fowler did not know about.High magnification with an electron microscope reveals chondrules, which are spherical minerals embedded in meteorite. (Image credit: The Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre).EAARO and Loughborough University are using electron microscopy to examine the meteorite's surface down to the nanometer. They also use techniques such as vibrational spectroscopy (a billionths of a millimeter) and Xray diffraction to explore the chemical structure and minerals within the meteorite. The team may be able to confirm that the meteorite contains amino acids. This could reveal more information about the origins of life in the solar system's early geochemistry. The initial examination of the meteorite remains in its early stages.In the statement, Sandie Dann, a Loughborough University chemist, stated that "At the stage, we have learned quite a lot about it, but we have barely scratched its surface."Original publication on Live Science
