Why race is on for hillwalkers to save ancient space rocks from Scottish weather
Scientists are hunting for meteorites, the remains of a giant shooting star that exploded over Scotland, that are believed to be scattered over an area to the east of Ben Nevis
It was “the most thrilling sight” they’d ever seen, one eye-witness said. In July, a giant shooting star streaked across Scotland’s night sky then dramatically exploded with a flash and a bang that shook the earth.
Now scientists from the excellently named UK Fireball Alliance are in a race against time to find the surviving meteorites, which they believe will be strewn across Ben Alder and the surrounding area, and hope to enlist the help of hillwalkers. The rocks are likely to be black, almost glassy and, as they may contain a significant amount of iron, possibly a bit rusty.
According to Glasgow University scientist Professor Luke Daly, meteorites are “time capsules of the early solar system, which hold a wealth of information about how our solar system formed and developed”.
However, Daly warned that “the clock is very much ticking” if they are to learn as much as they can. For, while the rocks may have survived for literally billions of years in space, they are not really hardy enough to deal with the good old Scottish weather. "Wha’s like us?" as we like to say.
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