Hypatia (stone)

Hypatia is a small stone found in Egypt in 1996, which may be the first known specimen of a comet nucleus on Earth, although defying physically-accepted models for hypervelocity processing of organic material.[1][2]

For other uses, see Hypatia (disambiguation).

Discovery and name

Hypatia was discovered in December 1996 by Aly A. Barakat at 25°20′N 25°30′E, directly in proximity to a dark, slag-like glassy material that was interpreted to be a form of Libyan desert glass.[3]

The rock was named after Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 350–370 AD – 415 AD) – the philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, and inventor.[4]

Tests done in South Africa by researchers Jan Kramers and Georgy Belyanin of the University of Johannesburg show that Hypatia contains microscopic diamonds. Due to the presence of several anomalous isotopic distributions unknown in prior association, some believe the Hypatia material is necessarily of extraterrestrial origin, although significant terrestrial contamination is dismissed by proponents as being impact-authigenic from incorporation of terrestrial atmosphere, the physics of which are unresolved. Further speculation from comparative summary statistical associations support that Hypatia is a relict fragment of the hypothetical impacting body assumed to have produced the chemically-dissimilar Libyan desert glass.[3] If this association holds, Hypatia may have impacted Earth approximately 28 million years ago.[4] Its unusual chemistry has prompted further speculation that Hypatia may predate the formation of the Solar System.[2]

In 2018 Georgy Belyanin of the University of Johannesburg and colleagues found compounds including polyaromatic hydrocarbons and silicon carbide associated with a previously-unknown nickel phosphide compound. Other observations supporting non-terrestrial origin for the Hypatia samples include ratios of silicon to carbon anti-correlated to terrestrial averages, or those of major planets like Mars or Venus. Some samples of interstellar dust overlap Hypatia distributions, although Hypatia's elemental chemistry also overlaps some terrestrial distributions.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Libyan desert glass: Diamond-Bearing Pebble Provides Evidence of Comet Striking Earth". sci-news.com, 8 October 2013.
  2. "Extra-terrestrial Hypatia stone rattles solar system status quo". ScienceDaily.com, 9 January 2018.
  3. Kramers, Jan D; Andreoli, Marco A.G; Atanasova, Maria; Belyanin, Georgy A; Block, David L; Franklyn, Chris; Harris, Chris; Lekgoathi, Mpho; Montross, Charles S; Ntsoane, Tshepo; Pischedda, Vittoria; Segonyane, Patience; Viljoen, K.S. (Fanus); Westraadt, Johan E (2013). "Unique chemistry of a diamond-bearing pebble from the Libyan Desert Glass strewnfield, SW Egypt: Evidence for a shocked comet fragment". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 382: 21–31. Bibcode:2013E&PSL.382...21K. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.09.003.
  4. Collins, Tim (2018-01-12). "Incredible diamond-studded 'alien' rock has minerals not found anywhere in our star system". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  5. 2018 Journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 223 462. (Quotation from CERN Courier March 2018)
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