Meteorite containing material billions of years old discovered in Antarctica - New York Post

Scientists say they’ve found a space rock for the ages in Antarctica — an extremely rare meteorite that contains some of the oldest material in the solar system.

The extraordinary rock, which contains material from billions of years ago, is one of the largest meteorites ever found on the continent and likely originated in the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, The Independent reported.

Researchers on snowmobiles spent the better part of two weeks combing ice fields in search of meteorites when they made the stunning find just as they were about to wrap up their exploration, according to The Tribune.

The rock had what Valdes described as a “fusion crust” — a glassy outer layer that slightly melted when it entered the atmosphere.

“Size doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to meteorites, and even tiny micrometeorites can be incredibly scientifically valuable.”

Scientists from the US, Belgium and Switzerland spent 11 days combing the icy continent looking for space rocks.Courtesy of Maria Valdes / SWNSMost of the 45,000 meteorites found in Antarctica over the past century have only weighed a few grams, The Independent noted.