5 research institutes to share ancient meteorite that exploded over California
The main mass of the rare Sutter's Mill meteorite is shown after the Smithsonian Institution cut it and divided it among five U.S. academic institutions, in July 2013. (Smithsonian Institution via the University of California-Davis)
The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, August 21, 2013 3:39PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, August 22, 2013 11:44PM EDT
CHICAGO -- Five U.S. academic institutions will share parts of a rare meteorite that exploded in a fireball over California last year.
The Field Museum said Wednesday that the meteor dates to the early formation of the solar system 4 to 5 billion years ago. It was probably about the size of a minivan when it entered the Earth's atmosphere in April 2012.
The Smithsonian cut the meteorite into five sections that will go to five institutions: The Field Museum in Chicago; the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington; the American Museum of Natural History in New York; Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.; and the University of California-Davis.
Scientists plan to use the pieces for research. They used a CT scan to determine the meteor's age and chemical composition.