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Gloucestershire (dpa) - For research, it's like winning the lottery: In the south-west of England, residents have discovered parts of a rare meteorite, the bright glow of which was recently spotted when it fell to earth.
According to scientists, it is the first time in 30 years that meteorite fragments have been found in the UK.
A Gloucestershire resident had found a pile of charred stones in his driveway, and later other citizens came forward with similar marble-sized finds.
Just over a week ago, according to the UK Fireball Alliance, hundreds had watched the meteorite that lit up the skies over England and beyond like a ball of fire.
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Carbon-containing fragments, so-called chondrites, are the original "building blocks of our solar system," said Ashley King from London's Natural History Museum to the BBC.
Nothing like it has ever been found in Great Britain.
Of the estimated 65,000 meteorite finds worldwide, only a good 1200 have been observed by eyewitnesses during their fall - and of these, only around 50 are said to belong to the rare carbon-containing chondrites.
Particularly bright meteorites are also called bolides.
These are mostly rocks that are hurtling through space at high speed.
When it enters the earth's atmosphere, it encounters resistance and is braked.
This creates heat and light - this phenomenon can then be seen in the night sky.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210309-99-746957 / 2
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UK Fireball Alliance
BBC report