In recent days, meteorites, 13 specimens so far, have been found in the village of Drelów and the surrounding area, in the northern part of the Lublin Province. 'We were dealing with a meteorite shower. There is a chance to find more specimens', the president of the Polish Meteorite Society, Professor Tadeusz Przylibski from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, told PAP.

The discovered meteorites are most likely ordinary chondrites (this will be verified in research). According to Przylibski, although they are not particularly exceptional, because these are the meteorites most often found on Earth, present in many private and museum collections - such a meteorite shower is quite rare and can bring interesting information about space, about what is happening outside the Earth's atmosphere.

'A meteorite shower is very interesting for science, because it contains information, for example, about how the current activity of the Sun affects the matter that is in space. If we manage to measure what radioactive isotopes and in what quantities are present in the meteorite, then we know, for example, the level of cosmic radiation astronauts are exposed to', the expert says.

Ordinary chondrites also bring knowledge about the formation of the Solar System. 'They formed about 4.5 billion years ago, when the Sun had already formed, but there were no planets yet. We have valuable information about what this protoplanetary, or pre-planetary, matter in the Solar System looked like', he added.

The expert emphasised that meteorites should be examined in a laboratory as soon as possible. 'Some information, for example, about cosmic isotopes, disappears because these isotopes decay and disappear within a few days. If this material does not get to the laboratory, the information will be lost', he said.

Meteorites are fragments of rocks that have been chipped off from their parent celestial bodies. They orbit the Sun as meteoroids. Przylibski explains that when such an object enters the Earth's atmosphere, it burns and breaks up into smaller fragments. 'These smaller fragments of matter then shine as meteors, and if it is an exceptionally bright phenomenon, we are talking about fireballs. We encountered such a fireball a few days ago', he added.

Finding the meteorites was possible thanks to the Polish fireball network called Skytinel. This is a private initiative of many people who have special sky observation cameras installed on their homes. Thanks to this network of cameras, it is possible to calculate and determine the trajectory of a fireball and determine the area where fragments of the meteoroid that caused the fireball phenomenon, i.e. meteorites, could have fallen. 'In most cases, this area has the shape of an ellipse. This time, it was south of Międzyrzec Podlaski', Przylibski added.

Volunteer meteorite hunters arrived at the designated location. So far, 13 specimens have been found, the largest weighing over half a kilogram. The search continues and Professor Tadeusz Przylibski encourages the residents of Drelów and the surrounding villages to join in. 'Before the ground thaws, the rains fall, and the plants grow, it is worth searching your fields and meadows. It is great fun to find a meteorite', he added. It is very important for science to record the exact place where the specimen was found, preferably in the form of GPS coordinates, as well as the mass (weight) of the specimen.

The expert emphasised that the value of a meteorite increases after it has been examined and classified as a meteorite. Meteorites are examined by the National Centre for Nuclear Research, where isotope analyses are performed. Meteorites are classified, among others, at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and reference specimens are collected at the Museum of Earth Sciences of the University of Silesia.

'It is important that the meteorite is not destroyed or damaged, because its surface is also important. It is formed during its flight through the Earth's atmosphere, when the meteorite burns. Its surface shows the direction of the fall, where the molten matter that is being burned moves', Przylibski explains.

Meteorites – ones that have been examined and classified – have collector's value, and there is also a market for trading in these specimens. Some of them can be used by goldsmiths and jewellers. (PAP)

PAP - Science in Poland

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