Large meteorite found in eastern Antarctica

18-kilogram rock is the largest discovered in the region since 1988

The Associated Press

Posted: Mar 1, 2013 11:00 AM ET

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2013 4:16 PM ET

Scientists discovered an 18-kilogram meteorite in eastern Antarctica, the largest in the area since 1988. 425 meteorites were found during the 40-day expedition. (International Polar Foundation)

International scientists say they've discovered an 18-kilogram meteorite in eastern Antarctica, the largest found in that area in 25 years.

The Brussels-based International Polar Foundation said Thursday the meteorite is an "ordinary chondrite," the most common meteorite. It was discovered Jan. 28, and is undergoing a special thawing process in Japan so water won't penetrate it before it's studied.

During a 40-day expedition, scientists discovered 425 meteorites at an altitude of 2,900 metres, 140 kilometres south of Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research base.

While this is the largest found in eastern Antarctica since 1988, a 21.5-kilogram meteorite was found on the continent in 2005, according to the Meteoritical Bulletin Database. The largest in Antarctica was 407 kilograms, found in 1976 or 1977.

Stay Connected with CBC News

Big Box Advertisement

Top News Headlines

Obesity now recognized as a disease: The American Medical Association has voted to recognize obesity as a disease, while doctors in Canada say they also treat it as such. more »

Sopranos star James Gandolfini dies in Italy: James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's 'The Sopranos' helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51. more »
B.C. First Nation sets fires to save bison: A First Nation band is reviving the age-old practice of controlled burning in order to improve the health of forests and restore the population of the wood bison in a corner of northeastern B.C. more »
Canada buys rare War of 1812 collection for $573K: The government of Canada was the winning bidder for a large collection of letters, maps and other papers that once belonged to Sir John Sherbrooke, the lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia who conquered Maine for the British during the War of 1812. The collection sold for $573,000 at auction in London. more »
Bob Rae quits as MP in 'very emotional' decision: Bob Rae, who has represented the Toronto Centre riding for the Liberals since 2008, is stepping down as a Member of Parliament to devote more time to his work as a negotiator for First Nations in Northern Ontario. more »

Must Watch

Latest Technology & Science News Headlines

How open is Ottawa's new 'open data' website?

How open is Ottawa's new 'open data' website?: Treasury Board President Tony Clement is touting the federal government's revamped data portal as a "new natural resource." But that online window for previously published data arrives at the same time the government faces controversy over just how open it really is. more »

Genetically-modified crop inventors win World Food Prize: Three pioneers of plant biotechnology whose work brought the world genetically modified crops have been awarded this year's World Food Prize. more »
Anti-social media app helps you avoid other people: A cheeky new app, billed "an experiment in ant-social media," leverages a user's own social network to decrease the likeliness of actually crossing paths with someone in it. more »
'Tweet' gets 21st century update in Oxford dictionary: Tweeting in the social-networking sense has become so pervasive that the Oxford English Dictionary has broken one of its own rules to add new meanings for "tweet" as both a noun and a verb. more »
B.C. backcountry mobile maps cause concern: The BC Search and Rescue Association is raising concerns about a set of free, high-resolution topographical backcountry maps released by the provincial government on Tuesday. more »

More Headlines »

Bob McDonald's Blog

After Hadfield, who's the next Canadian in space? Jun. 13, 2013 12:01 PM Canada's singing astronaut announced his retirement this week, leaving Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques to fill his space boots. But there is no date set for when the next Canadian will fly in space.

Quirks & Quarks

June 22: How to Build a Brain Jun. 19, 2013 10:42 AM Scientists are embarking on ambitious projects to understand the incredible complexity of the human brain and to simulate it in a computer. They hope it will help us understand mental disorders, as well as the nature of thought, memory, and conciousness.