Scientists have said that an examination of chemical evidence of metallic dust of a meteorite that fell in Australia in 1969 revealed microscopic grains that are the oldest materials on the planet, as they are about seven billion years old.
The scientists pointed out, according to a study published Monday, that these grains are older than the Earth, the moon, and the entire solar system, and even reach half the life of the universe, according to a newspaper. “Washington PostAmerican.
The researchers relied on the pills carried by the Murchison meteorite, which belongs to a group of meteorites rich in organic compounds.
The meteorite fell on a farm in Australia and dairy farmers collected shrapnel and sold kilograms thereof to museums and universities, so it is one of the most studied meteorites.
It has a isotopic composition that is different from the materials in the solar system, so the meteorite recorded the date before the birth of the solar system.
The research team crushed part of the meteorite and put it in acid, to acid dissolve almost everything except the star dust grains, which consist of solid minerals called “silicon carbide.”
“Silicon Carbide” is a very powerful compound, to the point that it is used in the manufacture of bulletproof shields, and is also widely used in applications that require high durability, is rare on Earth, and is available from star death.
In its last days, the stars swell and produce hot gas, and when it cools, silicon carbide and other solid materials come out of it.
Among the pills examined, one of them reached seven billion years old, which makes them 2.5 billion years older than the Earth, while the majority were 4.6 to 4.9 billion years old, which makes them hundreds of millions of years old than the solar system.
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