Moss meteorite
Encyclopedia
Moss is a carbonaceous chondrite
meteorite
that fell over the communities of Rygge
and Moss
in Østfold
county, southeast southern Norway in the morning of midsummer day, July 14, 2006.
The last time a type CO3 meteorite fell from the sky was in 1937 with Kainsaz, Russia. There are 6 known falls of a CO3 meteorite. Being of the rare carbonaceous
subtype, 'meteorite man' Robert Haag
stated to the media that this was the most important meteorite fall since the Canadian Tagish Lake
fall in January 2000.
It started in the beginning of June when on the 7th a very large meteor explosion was seen and heard over large areas in northernmost Norway. Although no meteorites was found from that event, its size stirred a whole world of meteorite aficionados and a stunned scientific community in Norway and abroad.
Then on the 10th of July it was announced on NRK1, Norway's number one TV channel, that a meteorite had been found in a mans driveway south of Stavanger
. The story was soon denounced by the experts as being a plutonic rock from a nearby source.
But then, incredible as it was, just four days later the skies opened for a true meteorite fall event. This turned out to be the 13th find of a meteorite in Norway. At the same time its 9th fall.
As if this was not enough, at the end of August a very large fireball was seen north from Troms
county to south of Bergen, almost along the whole coast of the country, but no meteorites were found.
county, Norway. It split into 4 or 5 smaller objects. It was seen from a large area extending outwards in all directions from the Oslofjord
area, in north limited to roughly Lake Mjøsa, in east from Årjäng
, Sweden, and in the southwest to the coast area of Sørlandet
. Over Rygge and Moss a loud explosion and a rumbling sound was heard.
A man near his summer cabin in Rygge saw and heard a small piece of stone hit an aluminium sheet about 2 meter away. This was the only directly observed impacting stone from the fall.
about 6 km long from southeast in Rygge
to northwest in parts of north Moss
.
The largest find, the main mass, was in several tens of pieces, part of it being smashed while hitting a fence. It was almost 2 kg in weight.
The total weight of all the finds was over 4 kg.
The first preliminary study of August 2006 showed that it contains numerous small chondrules, most <0.2mm and small <1mm amoeboid olivine
aggregates (AOAs) and small CAIs (calcium aluminium inclusions). It also contains isolated grains of olivine
, troilite
and kamacite
in a gray matrix
.
It has been classified as carbonaceous chondrite
of type CO3 - Ornans type. Its accepted designation is CO3.6. Its petrologic type 3.6 means that it is only slightly metamorphosed
by heating from its original state, but more so than most of the 5 other CO3 falls. Its closest kin of these falls is Ornans, the group type specimen. It contains only about 0.25 percent carbon
, some present as organic compound
s. Typically benzene
, toluene
, C2-alkyl benzene and traces of biphenyl, benzonitrile and aliphatic hydrocarbones.
The shock stage is S2.
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
that fell over the communities of Rygge
Rygge
Rygge is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rygge. Rygge was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .The emblem of Rygge is the Pasque flower...
and Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
county, southeast southern Norway in the morning of midsummer day, July 14, 2006.
The last time a type CO3 meteorite fell from the sky was in 1937 with Kainsaz, Russia. There are 6 known falls of a CO3 meteorite. Being of the rare carbonaceous
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
subtype, 'meteorite man' Robert Haag
Robert A. Haag
Robert A. Haag is an American famous for collecting meteorites.Haag today remains securely at the top of his field. Some of the meteorites acquired from Haag are currently on display in the Smithsonian....
stated to the media that this was the most important meteorite fall since the Canadian Tagish Lake
Tagish Lake meteorite
The Tagish Lake meteorite fell at 16:43 p.m. on 18 January 2000 in the Tagish Lake area in southwestern Yukon, Canada.-History:Fragments of the Tagish Lake meteorite landed upon the Earth on January 18, 2000 at 16:43 UT after a large meteoroid exploded in the upper atmosphere at altitudes...
fall in January 2000.
Prelude
The summer of 2006 was the meteorite summer in Norway. The summer was very warm and dry. It was perfect weather to protect the valuable droppings that the skies let fall over Norway.It started in the beginning of June when on the 7th a very large meteor explosion was seen and heard over large areas in northernmost Norway. Although no meteorites was found from that event, its size stirred a whole world of meteorite aficionados and a stunned scientific community in Norway and abroad.
Then on the 10th of July it was announced on NRK1, Norway's number one TV channel, that a meteorite had been found in a mans driveway south of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
. The story was soon denounced by the experts as being a plutonic rock from a nearby source.
But then, incredible as it was, just four days later the skies opened for a true meteorite fall event. This turned out to be the 13th find of a meteorite in Norway. At the same time its 9th fall.
As if this was not enough, at the end of August a very large fireball was seen north from Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
county to south of Bergen, almost along the whole coast of the country, but no meteorites were found.
Fall
At about 10:20 a.m. on the 14th of July a large meteor was seen in broad daylight by a large number of people heading north-northwest over ØstfoldØstfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
county, Norway. It split into 4 or 5 smaller objects. It was seen from a large area extending outwards in all directions from the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
area, in north limited to roughly Lake Mjøsa, in east from Årjäng
Årjäng
Årjäng is a locality and the seat of Årjäng Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 3,172 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
, Sweden, and in the southwest to the coast area of Sørlandet
Sørlandet
Southern Norway is the name of the geographical region of the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway consisting of the two counties of Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder...
. Over Rygge and Moss a loud explosion and a rumbling sound was heard.
A man near his summer cabin in Rygge saw and heard a small piece of stone hit an aluminium sheet about 2 meter away. This was the only directly observed impacting stone from the fall.
Finds
In all there were five separate finds of the Moss CO3.6 meteorite. They distributed over a strewnfieldStrewn field
The term strewnfield indicates the area where meteorites from a single fall are dispersed.It is also often used with tektites produced by large meteorite impact.-Formation:There are two strewnfield formation mechanisms:...
about 6 km long from southeast in Rygge
Rygge
Rygge is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rygge. Rygge was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .The emblem of Rygge is the Pasque flower...
to northwest in parts of north Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
.
The largest find, the main mass, was in several tens of pieces, part of it being smashed while hitting a fence. It was almost 2 kg in weight.
The total weight of all the finds was over 4 kg.
Classification and scientific studies
Several scientific papers have come out on the closer study of the meteorite.The first preliminary study of August 2006 showed that it contains numerous small chondrules, most <0.2mm and small <1mm amoeboid olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
aggregates (AOAs) and small CAIs (calcium aluminium inclusions). It also contains isolated grains of olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
, troilite
Troilite
Troilite is a rare iron sulfide mineral with the simple formula of FeS. It is the iron rich endmember of the pyrrhotite group. Pyrrhotite has the formula FeS which is iron deficient...
and kamacite
Kamacite
Kamacite is a mineral. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, usually in the proportions of 90:10 to 95:5 although impurities such as cobalt or carbon may be present. On the surface of Earth, it occurs naturally only in meteorites. It has a metallic luster, is gray and has no clear cleavage although...
in a gray matrix
Matrix (geology)
The matrix or groundmass of rock is the finer grained mass of material in which larger grains, crystals or clasts are embedded.The matrix of an igneous rock consists of finer grained, often microscopic, crystals in which larger crystals are embedded. This porphyritic texture is indicative of...
.
It has been classified as carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
of type CO3 - Ornans type. Its accepted designation is CO3.6. Its petrologic type 3.6 means that it is only slightly metamorphosed
Metamorphism
Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical and crystallographic changes can occur during this process...
by heating from its original state, but more so than most of the 5 other CO3 falls. Its closest kin of these falls is Ornans, the group type specimen. It contains only about 0.25 percent carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
, some present as organic compound
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
s. Typically benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...
, C2-alkyl benzene and traces of biphenyl, benzonitrile and aliphatic hydrocarbones.
The shock stage is S2.