A team of researchers have discovered a rare meteorite in Antarctica that weighs 7.6kg.
Space rocks are often found in parts of the icy continent but are mostly very small.
Only about 100 of the 45,000 meteorites retrieved from Antarctica over the past century have been this big.
“Size doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to meteorites, and even tiny micrometeorites can be incredibly scientifically valuable, but of course, finding a big meteorite like this one is rare, and really exciting,” said Maria Valdes, a research scientist at the Field Museum and the University of Chicago.
“Studying meteorites helps us better understand our place in the universe.
“The bigger a sample size we have of meteorites, the better we can understand our solar system, and the better we can understand ourselves.”
Ms Valdes was one of the four scientists on the mission, which was led by Vinciane Debaille of the Universte Libre de Bruxelles, a research university in Brussels, Belgium.
They brought back five meteorites and sediment potentially containing tiny micrometeorites.
Satellite images helped them map the area and locate some of the space rocks.
“Going on an adventure exploring unknown areas is exciting,” said Ms Debaille.
“But we also had to deal with the fact that the reality on the ground is much more difficult than the beauty of satellite images.”
The team endured freezing temperatures of -10°C and spent days riding snowmobiles, trekking through ice fields and sleeping in tents.
Antarctica is ideal for meteorite hunting because the black space rocks stand out against the snowy fields.
And even when they sink into the ice, the glacier’s churning motion against the rock helps re-expose them.
It is estimated that 300,000 meteorites are scattered on the icy landscape covering 14 million square kilometres and are waiting to be found.
Nasa said scientists have been trying to find the rocks at "meteorite stranding zones" – areas where the local geology, flow of the ice and climate conditions have caused meteorites to accumulate at the surface.
“Such stranding zones have traditionally been discovered by chance — often close to a research station — or by scanning maps and satellite images of areas with blue ice,” said Nasa.
“Nearly all meteorites are found on blue ice, which lacks snow cover and allows meteorites to be exposed at the surface.”
Apart from remote locations, space rocks can also fall in developed areas.
In 2021, a small meteorite crash-landed on to a driveway in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, UK.
A study led by the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway at the University of London found organic compounds in the rock that may hold secrets to the origin of life.
"In the study, the analysis found a range of organic matter which reveals that the meteorite was once from part of an asteroid where liquid water occurred, and if that asteroid had been given access to the water, a chemical reaction could have occurred leading to more molecules turning into amino acids and protein — the building blocks of life," the university said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
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Based: Tunisia
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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