This unique image — which measures only 60 x 80 micrometers across — reveals details in the Kapoeta meteorite, an 11-kg stone that fell in South Sudan in 1942. The sparkle in the image? A cluster of nanodiamonds discovered embedded in the stone in a recent study led by Yassir Abdu (University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates). Abdu and collaborators showed that these nanodiamonds have similar spectral features to the interiors of dense interstellar clouds — and they don’t show any signs of shock features. This may suggest that the nanodiamonds were formed by condensation of nebular gases early in the history of the solar system. The diamonds were trapped in the surface material of the Kapoeta meteorite’s parent body, thought to be the asteroid Vesta. To read more about the authors’ study, check out the original article below.
Citation
Yassir A. Abdu et al 2018 ApJL 856 L9. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aab433
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