Asteroid that impacted near Berlin identified as a rare Aubrite

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On January 21, 2024, a meter-sized asteroid called 2024 BX1 entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded over Berlin. Meteorite hunters recovered fragments of the asteroid five days later. 

The fragments are a rare space rock type that could help scientists understand the origins of Earth. The fragments have the typical mineralogy and chemical composition of aubrite-type rocks. Aubrites are gray granite-like and consist mainly of the magnesium silicates enstatite and forsterite.

Meteorites are rare space rocks that can help scientists understand the origins of Earth.  Meteorites are fragments of asteroids, comets, moons, and planets that survive the journey through Earth’s atmosphere.  Some meteorites are pieces of the original matter from which the planets were assembled. Others are fragments of asteroids that grew hot enough to develop crusts, mantles, and cores. 

Meteorites can help scientists understand the processes taking place deep inside planets. For example, meteorites have helped scientists learn that Earth has a core made of nickel and iron metal. 

Most meteorites that fall to Earth come from the Asteroid Belt. Most meteorites found on Earth are pebble to fist size, but some are larger than a building. 

In January 2024, meteorites from Asteroid 2024 BX1 hit Earth. The meteorites are rare aubrite meteorites that differ from other meteorites because they have a translucent glass crust and a grey granite appearance.

Scientists have confirmed that the asteroid that exploded over Germany last month is a rare spacerock type that could help shed light on Earth’s origins. According to Space.com, the fragments of asteroid 2024 BX1 were discovered just five days after the explosion

According to Space.com, scientists have confirmed that the asteroid that exploded over Germany on January 21, 2024 is a rare space rock type. The fragments were discovered five days after the explosion. 

The asteroid is a rare class known as an Aubrite, and its fragments are meteorites that date back about 4.5 billion years. This coincides with the formation of the solar system planets. 

The meteorites share the typical mineralogy and chemical composition of aubrite-type rocks. They may have been the building blocks from which Earth was formed. 

Asteroids are the debris left over from the formation of the solar system. Four and a half billion years ago, our solar system was nothing more than a rotating cloud of gas and dust.

The asteroid, later designated 2024 BX1, disintegrated harmlessly into a fireball above Germany on January 21, 2024 at 1:32 AM local time. The asteroid was about 3.3 feet (1 meter) wide and burned up in the atmosphere near Berlin, producing a fireball that was visible across Europe. The asteroid’s impact site was about 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Berlin. 

According to NASA’s Scout impact assessment system, nearly 50 tons of meteoritic matter hits the planet daily. Most small pieces are never found, but occasionally a celestial fireball pushes through the atmosphere and lands on the ground

Asteroid impacts can cause a number of changes to the Earth’s atmosphere and landscape:

  • Atmospheric changes: Dust and debris from the impact can block the sun’s rays, reducing insolation and cooling the climate. The impact that killed the dinosaurs ejected a mixture of soot, sulfur gases, and dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and causing a two-year winter. 
  • Landscape changes: The impact can cause landslides and tsunamis, altering the landscape at the impact site and in surrounding areas. The impact can also melt rocks, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and causing greenhouse warming. 
  • Earthquakes: The impact can trigger a “mega-earthquake” that can last weeks to months. 
  • Tidal waves: The impact can cause massive tidal waves to wash over parts of the American continents. 
  • Ocean acidification: The impact can acidify the ocean, killing most marine life. In addition to these changes, asteroid impacts can also cause ecosystem collapse, including the extinction of dinosaurs and other species

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3 thoughts on “Asteroid that impacted near Berlin identified as a rare Aubrite

    1. Aubrites are a type of meteorite; scientists are not yet sure of their origin, although some signs indicate that they could be from the asteroid 3103 Eger or from the planet Mercury

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