7 billion year old pieces of dust found in meteorite

Posted on Tuesday, January 14 2020 @ 10:57 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Inside a meteorite, scientists discovered one of the oldest known materials on Earth. The tiny mineral grains are believed to be between 5 billion and 7 billion years old, which makes them older than our own solar system, which formed about 4.6 billion years ago. In a new paper, the scientists write they believe the grains were created following a boom in star formation the Milky Way experienced some 7 billion years ago. The find illustrates that more can be learned about star formation in our galaxy by studying meteorites found on Earth.
The researchers found that the ages of the silicon carbide grains they studied ranged from roughly the age of the sun to about 3 billion years older. Most of these grains were on the younger side, though ?— just 4 million to 300 million years older than the sun. Heck and his team think the abundance of these relatively young presolar grains might be further evidence that the Milky Way underwent a burst in star formation some 7 billion years ago.
More details at Discover Magazine.

very old meteorite


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Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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