a fragment of the asteroid discovered in a field in Normandy

It is a rarity fallen from the sky, found in the middle of the fields. It is a meteorite fragment unearthed by a student. “It was a pebble that did not look like the others”, says Loïs Leblanc-Rappe, an arts student. The asteroid landed on Earth on Monday February 13. A ball of fire in the sky, which for a few seconds lit up the night. Its entry into the atmosphere was visible from England or Paris.

The asteroid must be studied by scientists

To find its trace, French researchers and NASA have combed several hectares in search of the stone so characteristic, sometimes difficult to discern. “It is a rock which is often covered by a light black crust, very thin, and which forms when entering the atmosphere”, explains Sylvain Bouley, planetary scientist and professor at Paris-Saclay. The asteroid of a few centimeters should be studied by scientists and should provide answers on the origin of our galaxy.