Science & Tech
The Murray meteorite, a CM2 carbonaceous chondrite, fell in Calloway County, Kentucky, after a fireball seen before dawn on 20 September 1950 traveled south from near Jasper County, Illinois and exploded high above Kentucky. Fragments landed near Wildcat Creek and Kentucky Lake east of Murray, giving the meteorite its name. Though only a few pieces were recovered by a Vanderbilt University search party and additional fragments by local farmers, the meteorite became scientifically important for its carbon-rich composition and organic content. Research on Murray has revealed presolar grains, amino acids, other organic compounds, and nucleobases, making it a significant sample of primitive Solar System material.
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Kentucky · United States