In fact, it started its journey over FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO.
While Earth was taking shape deep within the hot, chaotic swirl of dust and gas as the Sun coalesced at the centre, other bodies were forming further out where the temperatures were cooler. 2/
It is thought that there was a hypothetical boundary called the snow line, beyond which further away from the Sun, water vapour could condense into water ice.
Because there was no pressure this water did not go through its liquid phase, but rather went straight to solid. 3/
This means that water ice was available to be accreted, or incorporated, in these more distant objects such as the gas giants and asteroids as they formed.
Somewhere within this maelstrom the asteroid which would produce this meteorite may have originated. 4/
In order for water and volatiles to have come to Earth, they must have come from bodies that formed far out in the solar system, and then travelled inwards once the Sun reached a more stable state. 5/ nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/…
By looking at the chemical signature of water, scientists have figured out that almost all water on Earth must have been delivered here by early asteroid impacts.
Broadly speaking there are three main types of meteorites and the asteroids they are thought to have come from. 6/
The most water-rich of these are known as carbonaceous chondrites, which can be up to 28% water.
And they are EXCEEDINGLY rare. Of around 65,000 known meteorites, only 51 are carbonaceous chondrites.
This new meteorite is one of them. 7/
Some of these asteroids then spent the next few billion years whizzing around the Solar System, many orbiting in the asteroid belt found between Mars and Jupiter.
Eventually a chunk of one asteroid was broken off, perhaps after a collision with another lump of speeding rock. 8/
Either way, a piece of one carbonaceous chondrite was sent hurtling off course from the asteroid belt and, on 28 February 2021, it blazed through the Earth's atmosphere over western England. 9/
The extreme heat and friction as it travelled some 13 km/s turned it into a fireball, visible to hundreds of people who just happened to be looking up at the night sky at around 21:56.
It was also picked up by a network of cameras looking out for just this kind of event. 10/
Finally, after forming some four BILLION years ago while the Sun was still yet new and travelling countless TRILLIONS of kilometres, this tiny piece of ancient rock came to a stop.
In a driveway. In Gloucestershire. 11/
It is now at the Museum, being looked after by our amazing scientists.
They are hoping that by studying this meteorite, older than the Earth itself, they can help figure out not only where most water came from, but also the building blocks of life itself.
Incredible. 12/
None of this would have been possible without an extraordinary group of international scientists, working together to help hunt down this meteorite.
It's time for #COP15, where world nations are meeting to agree targets to protect and restore Earth's biodiversity - the incredible variety of life we share the planet with.
Follow our thread for six examples of why biodiversity is so important.
#1. We rely on biodiversity for much of our food production, including the pollination of crops.
#2. Thanks to plant and soil biodiversity, we have been able to develop a wealth of medicines, from painkillers to cancer-fighting drugs. Biodiversity saves lives. nhm.ac.uk/discover/natur…
The dirt beneath our feet often goes unnoticed, but it's key to sustaining all life on Earth. A teaspoon of soil can contain more organisms than there are humans living on Earth!
But why is soil so important?
One of the most important things that healthy soil with high biodiversity does, is fight off pests and allows fresh, nutritious plants to grow.
It also regulates the movement of water and prevents flooding by controlling whether rainfall, snowfall and irrigation water will flow over land or through it.
It's #WildlifeConservationDay! Although there is always more to do when it comes to wildlife conservation, it's not all doom and gloom. There are many conservation success stories!
Here are 5 beautiful species that have been pulled back from the brink of extinction:
Peregrine falcons dive bomb their prey at more than 320 km/hr, making them the fastest animal in the world.
They became endangered in the 1970s, but with the banning of the DDT pesticide, captive breeding programmes and large-scale protection, they were saved from extinction.
Mallorcan midwife toads raise their young differently - females lay a string of eggs and males then tie these around their legs until they are ready to hatch.
They were once thought to be extinct, but conservation actions have helped increase their numbers and distribution.
In tomorrow's free #OurBrokenPlanet event, we'll be discussing the importance of valuing Indigenous and First Peoples' knowledge in handling the climate crisis, from policy to how we each interact with nature.
.@SorengArchana is a 25-year-old UN Youth Climate Advisor and Indigenous environmental activist of the Kharia Tribe of Odisha, India, who works to promote awareness of traditional knowledge and practices of Indigenous communities with regards to climate change.
@SorengArchana 22-year-old @Brianna_Fruean is an activist and environmental advocate for Samoa. At the age of 11, she became a founding member of @350 Samoa and Future Rush, with the aim to promote youth and community engagement in climate change and sustainable issues.
Our #Pride2020 recreation of the Progress Pride flag uses the full range of our collections to celebrate the amazing diversity of the natural world.
For #MusPride today, we're revealing exactly what's hiding behind the stripes...
A #PrideMonth THREAD >>>
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The white of our flag - included in the Progress variation of the Pride flag to represent the non-binary community and those transitioning - is a section from the wing of a large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae. #MusPride 2/12
The next two colours represent transgender folk, with the light pink chevron coming from the Museum's mineral collection. This is a piece of thulite (also known as rosalite) dotted with white calcite crystals which give it a lighter shade. #MusPride 3/12