Researchers have traced the origins of the resulting rare meteorite fragments, which began the journey to Earth some 23 million years ago.
The asteroid, called 2018 LA, shot across the sky like a fireball before landing in Botswana on June 2, 2018. Researchers subsequently recovered 23 meteorites from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a huge area known for its diverse wildlife.
"The meteorite is named 'Motopi Pan' after a local watering hole," Mohutsiwa Gabadirwe, the senior curator of the Botswana Geoscience Institute, said in a statement, referring to the first sample they found. "This meteorite is a national treasure of Botswana."
Scientists first spotted the asteroid using the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, which tracks asteroids as part of NASA's Planetary Defense program.
It marked just the second time scientists have been able to study an asteroid in space before it reaches Earth — typically, they don't know about them until after it's happened.
At the time, the asteroid was estimated to be about 6 feet across — small enough to safely break apart in Earth's atmosphere. It arrived at the fast speed of 38,000 miles per hour, according to NASA.
"This is only the second time we have spotted an asteroid in space before it hit Earth over land," said Jenniskens. "The first was asteroid 2008 TC3 in Sudan ten years earlier."
Baca Juga: Jawab Soal Bahasa Inggris Kelas XII, Chapter VI Assessment A No. 4-5
Terjemahan
Sebuah asteroid kecil menabrak Bumi tiga tahun lalu dan sekarang para ilmuwan tahu dari mana asalnya.
Para peneliti telah melacak asal-usul pecahan meteorit langka yang dihasilkan, yang memulai perjalanan ke Bumi sekitar 23 juta tahun yang lalu.
Asteroid, yang disebut 2018 LA, melesat melintasi langit seperti bola api sebelum mendarat di Botswana pada 2 Juni 2018. Para peneliti kemudian menemukan 23 meteorit dari Central Kalahari Game Reserve, sebuah area besar yang dikenal dengan beragam satwa liarnya.