Meteorite diamonds tell of a lost planet
Using transmission electron microscopy, EPFL scientists have examined a slice from a meteorite that contains large diamonds formed at high pressure. The study shows that the parent body from which the meteorite came was a planetary embryo of a size between Mercury to Mars. The discovery is published. On October 7, 2008, an asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded 37 km above the Nubian Desert in Sudan. The asteroid, now known as "2008 TC3", was just over four meters in diameter. When it exploded in the atmosphere, it scattered multiple fragments across the desert. Only fifty fragments, ranging in size from 1-10 cm, were collected, for a total mass of 4.5 kg.
