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Chondrite

Description

This is the oldest object you will ever touch. It is made of small spheres (chondrules) clumped together in the early solar system, about 4560 million years ago.

Can you see a 'crust' on its surface? When this meteorite entered the atmosphere, it was icy cold (less than -200 ⁰C) but was travelling at a speed of up to 70 km/s. Within a few seconds , friction with the atmosphere heated its surface to boiling point, forming the melted crust.

Owner:
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
Creator:
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
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Item uploaded:
24/10/2019
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