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2024 BX1, previously known under its temporary designation Sar2736, was a metre-sized asteroid or meteoroid that entered Earth's atmosphere on 21 January 2024 00:33 UTC and disintegrated as a meteor over Berlin. It was discovered less than three hours before impact by Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky at Konkoly Observatory's Piszkéstető Station in the Mátra Mountains, Hungary. The fireball was observed by the cameras of the AllSky7 and Fripon networks. 2024 BX1 is the eighth asteroid discovered before impacting Earth, and is Sárneczky's third discovery of an impacting asteroid. Before it impacted, 2024 BX1 was a near-Earth asteroid on an Earth-crossing Apollo-type orbit.
Meteorite fragments of 2024 BX1 were found five days after it entered the Earth's atmosphere. It was later found to be an aubrite, a rare group of meteorites. A study from July 2024 describe the meteorite fragments that are called Ribbeck, named after the village Ribbeck close to the sample find. About 200 pieces were collected, totalling in about 1.8 kg. The study measured short-lived radionuclides in the samples AKM01 and AKM05. Ribbeck is consistent with a brecciated aubrite. The samples are made up of 76 ±3 vol% nearly FeO-free enstatite, 15.0 ±2.5 vol% albitic plagioclase, 5.5 ±1.5 vol% fosterite and 3.5 ±1.0 vol% of opaque phases (mainly sulfides and metals), with traces of nearly FeO-free diopside and K-feldspar. The researchers found that the plagioclase fragments in Ribbeck formed from coarse-grained magmatic rock that cooled slowly and that were fragmented by impacts on the parent body. The albitic plagioclase content is one of the highest among all aubrites, similar to the aubrite of Bishopville (see Meteorite fall). This causes Europium measurements to be higher in both meteorites. It is suggested that 2024 BX1 belongs to the Hungaria family and therefore is similar to the E/X-type asteroids. The rock showed signs of shock metamorphism and terrestrial weathering. The 4 days of weathering in the snow/melted snow gave the samples a brown color and the breakdown of sulfides gave the samples a smell of hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Some minerals (oldhamite, a Cr-rich phase and a Ti-rich phase) showed strong alteration, but it is unclear if this happened partially before the meteorite impact or if it is only due to weathering.
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Sample of Ribbeck found after 6 days and showing terrestrial alteration, giving the sample a brown color
2023 CX1, the seventh asteroid discovered before being successfully predicted to impact Earth, and the third asteroid to have its meteorite fall collected
References
^ "2024 BX1". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
^ "MPEC 2024-B76 : 2024 BX1". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
A fragment of 2024 BX1
Sample of Ribbeck found after 6 days and showing terrestrial alteration, giving the sample a brown color
Olivine in Ribbeck, showing fracture lines, indicative of shock metamorphism
Thin sections of 2024 BX1 samples, with enstatite crystals (En), olivine (Ol), plagioclase (Plag) and metal (Met)
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