The team—which consists of geochemists Maria Schönbächler, Vinciane Debaille, and Ryoga Maeda as well as cosmochemist Maria Valdes—began their Antarctic expedition in December. When they returned in mid-January, it was with five meteorites, including one that weighs a whopping 16.7 pounds.
Despite it being summertime in Antarctica, temperatures sat around 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius) throughout the expedition. But for those who are willing to brave such a climate in a remote environment, Antarctica makes for a perfect meteorite hunting site. Low precipitation means space artifacts face less erosion from water; in a sense, they’re preserved by the icy desert. Finding the meteorites is easier, too, since their dark surfaces contract with the bright, snowy ground….
Source: Researchers Find 17-Pound Meteorite During Antarctica Expedition
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