Winchcombe meteorite's tumultuous space odyssey was uncovered by nano-analysis

The study is part of broader efforts by the Winchcombe science team consortium and the UK Cosmochemistry Network, coordinated by the UK Fireball Alliance

A thorough nano-analysis has unveiled significant transformations undergone by the Winchcombe meteorite as it traversed space, ultimately landing in an English pasture in 2021. Collaborating on this research were scientists from the UK, Europe, Australia, and the USA, employing advanced analytical methods typically reserved for high-budget space missions. Through this analysis, researchers gained unprecedented insights into the meteorite's journey. Tracing back the origins of the Winchcombe meteorite, the team discovered its initial state as an icy rock, evolving through stages of ice melt into a muddy composite, undergoing continuous breakup and reformation. This meteorite belongs to the CM carbonaceous chondrites, ancient space rocks altered by water from their parent asteroid, which is crucial for understanding early solar system processes and potentially the origins of Earth's water.

In their recent publication in Meteoritics and Planetary Science, the team detailed their findings on the meteorite's complex breccia makeup, consisting of various chondrite types, each altered differently by water. Employing techniques like transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography, they highlighted the minute and varied alterations within the meteorite's grains. Significant discoveries include an unexpectedly high presence of carbonate minerals, indicating a richer carbon content than previously acknowledged and providing insights into carbonate veins observed on asteroids like Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.