Not sure if we have any astrobiologists on this forum, but it looks like a carbon-rich rock. Have you spoken to anyone else about this? If so, what was their take? Furthermore, since July 2020 (13 months ago), what sort of personal conclusions have you drawn from this discovery?
Yes it is, very, see below the bulk composition. It's low density (typ <1g/cm3) and very porous, the structure is a dark fine grained angular matrix / lattice of crystal intergrowths. A recent petrographic analysis could not conclude what it is, but confirmed it had some meteoritic characteristics though always with a 'but' as it's not comparable to any existing samples. Interestingly it fell at the start of the Perseids shower which is caused by the debris field of comet Swift-Tuttle, and there are, from what I understand, no cometary meteorites in the collections for comparison.
Since very early on I've been liaising with a few retired Professors in the fields of panspermia, astro and microbiology, and based on:
- the circumstances of its arrival and that UK Mon also link 2 other fireball sightings to my report (so there is corroborating evidence that something fell from the sky that night)
- the unusual nature of the material (in particular its structure and low density) which is similar to other materials previously studied by those people
- surface features which could suggest 'collected' biological structures from the atmosphere, also previously studied by those people
- and what has been found inside, also previously studied by those people
The suggestion has been that it's from out there somewhere, or at the very least has passed through the atmosphere. As I have gained more information through my own privately funded analysis, two things have happened: it's become more unusual, but also more unlike any existing meteorite, which has succeeded in strengthened the argument from the (many) meteorite experts I've approached, though often they do admit the material is unusual. I've approached many geologists/volcanic and meteorite academic experts, and to date none have performed analytical analysis on the material, and only one (meteorite expert) has had a cursory glance at it under an optical microscope. Their replies, based usually on pictures only, are the material is probably slag or industrial waste, but I have it from numerous experts (currently active) in those fields that it's not and that particularly microbiology, like diatoms, would be destroyed in the production of such materials and would not be present as they have been found.
I've tried a few avenues for analysis that can confirm the origin, namely Triple oxygen isotope and Cosmic Ray Exposure but they are very specialised and the keys to those kingdoms are, it seems, held by the meteorite experts.
It being extraterrestrial (maybe cometary?) material is still my working hypothesis, primarily because it currently doesn't fit other boxes either - but I will follow the evidence.
That's why I'm now looking at what information can be gained from the biological element(s) as well.
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Summary of analytical study results to dateBulk composition (by EDX and XRPD):
I had some basic spot SEM & EDX work done at Warwick Uni:They found diatoms inside a smooth feature that apparently consists of Kyanite and Muscovite crystals (metamorphic assemblies). It might be interesting to note that the diatoms have not (detectable) Nitrogen.
Basic SEM of fresh fracture faces: provided the images as above
Thin slice petrographics analysis done by a reputable company:Short version is, the material has some meteoritic characteristics though there is always a 'but' when compared to existing carbonaceous chondrites (and others) as it's not comparable. They could not conclude what it actually is, industrial waste or otherwise.
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