1. Cosmic pears from the Havelland (Germany): Ribbeck, the twelfth recorded aubrite fall in history
- Author
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Bischoff, A., Patzek, M., Barrat, J.-A., Berndt, J., Busemann, H., Degering, D., Di Rocco, T., Ek, M., Harries, D., (0000-0003-0848-0662) da Assuncao Godinho, J. R., Heinlein, D., Kriele, A., Krietsch, D., Maden, C., Marchhart, O., Marshal, R. M., Martschini, M., Merchel, S., Möller, A., Pack, A., Raab, H., Reitze, M. P., Rendtel, I., Rüfenacht, M., Sachs, O., Schönbächler, M., Schuppisser, A., Weber, I., Wieser, A., Wimmer, K., Bischoff, A., Patzek, M., Barrat, J.-A., Berndt, J., Busemann, H., Degering, D., Di Rocco, T., Ek, M., Harries, D., (0000-0003-0848-0662) da Assuncao Godinho, J. R., Heinlein, D., Kriele, A., Krietsch, D., Maden, C., Marchhart, O., Marshal, R. M., Martschini, M., Merchel, S., Möller, A., Pack, A., Raab, H., Reitze, M. P., Rendtel, I., Rüfenacht, M., Sachs, O., Schönbächler, M., Schuppisser, A., Weber, I., Wieser, A., and Wimmer, K.
- Abstract
In 1889 the German poet and novelist Theodor Fontane wrote the popular literary ballad “Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland.” The Squire von Ribbeck is described as a gentle and generous person, who often gives away pears from his pear trees to children passing by and continued donating pears after his death. Now, 135 years later the rock called Ribbeck is giving us insight into processes that happened 4.5 billion years ago. The meteorite Ribbeck (official find location: 52°37’15"N, 12°45’40"E) fell January 21, 2024, and has been classified as a brecciated aubrite. This meteoroid actually entered the Earth's atmosphere at 00:32:38 UTC over Brandenburg, west of Berlin, and the corresponding fireball was recorded by professional all sky and video cameras. More than 200 pieces (two proved by radionuclide analysis to belong to this fresh fall) were recovered totaling about 1.8 kg. Long-lived radionuclide and noble gas data are consistent with long cosmic ray exposure (55-62 Ma) and a preatmospheric radius of Ribbeck between 10 and 30 cm. The heavily brecciated aubrite consists of major (76±3 vol%) coarse-grained FeO-free enstatite (En99.1Fs<0.04Wo0.9), with a significant abundance (15.0±2.5 vol%) of albitic plagioclase (Ab95.3 An2.0Or2.7), minor forsterite (5.5±1.5 vol%; Fo99.9) and 3.5±1.0 vol% of opaque phases (mainly sulfides and metals) with traces of nearly FeO-free diopside (En53.2Wo46.8) and K-feldspar (Ab4.6Or95.4). The rock has a shock degree of S3 (U-S3), and terrestrial weathering has affected metals and sulfides, resulting in the brownish appearance of rock pieces and the partial destruction of certain sulfides already within days after the fall. The bulk chemical data confirm the feldspar-bearing aubritic composition. Ribbeck is closely related to the aubrite Bishopville. Ribbeck does not contain solar wind implanted gases and is a fragmental breccia. Concerning the Ti- and O-isotope compositions, the data are similar to those of other aubrites. They
- Published
- 2024