The CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous material returned from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu contain mobilized sodium from the evaporation or freezing of liquid water into brines, shedding light on the internal structure of ice-rich CI-type worlds and the formation of prebiotic organic compounds. The formation of brines has not been demonstrated in CM (Mighei-type) carbonaceous chondrites, which also supplied organic matter to the early Earth. Here, we announce the fall of a primitive meteorite from a daytime fireball over the New York metropolitan area in July 2024. It is a CM2 breccia that contains unique CM1 clasts rich in water and sodium. The meteorite contains abundant amino acids and other products of organic chemistry in brines that reveal subsurface processes on CM-type asteroid parent bodies.
FörderungenNASA NASA Hayabusa2 Participating Scientist Program through the Johnson Space Flight Center NASA Johnson Space Center, Internal Scientist Funding Program funding NASA Planetary Science Enabling Facilities program NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Planetary Science Division Internal Scientist Funding Program through the Fundamental Laboratory Research (ISFM) work package at Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Planetary Science Division Internal Scientist Funding Program through the Fundamental Laboratory Research (ISFM) work package at Goddard Center for Astrobiology Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Astronomy Small Award Research Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme-Standard Programme UK Research and Innovation Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) German Research Foundation (DFG) Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)