description Almahata Sitta Overview
Almahata Sitta is the collective name for meteorite fragments recovered in Sudan after asteroid 2008 TC3 entered Earth's atmosphere on 7 October 2008. Astronomers detected and tracked the small asteroid before impact, making it the first natural object whose collision with Earth was predicted from telescopic observations. The recovered material is a polymict assemblage dominated by ureilites but containing several distinct meteorite types, providing evidence that its parent asteroid incorporated diverse rocks.
insights Ranking position
Almahata Sitta ranks #1 of 213 in the Meteorite ranking, ahead of Allende.
help Almahata Sitta FAQ
Why was asteroid 2008 TC3 historically important?
It was the first asteroid detected in space before its impact was successfully predicted and then observed. It entered Earth's atmosphere over Sudan in October 2008.
How did 2008 TC3 become the Almahata Sitta meteorite?
The small asteroid disintegrated high over Sudan and scattered stones across the Nubian Desert. Recovered fragments were named Almahata Sitta after a nearby railway station.
What type of meteorite is Almahata Sitta?
Many fragments are ureilites, a carbon-bearing class of differentiated meteorite. The recovered collection also contains varied rock types, showing that the parent asteroid was an unusual mixture of materials.
Were fragments recovered using the predicted impact path?
Yes, researchers and students searched the calculated fall area in Sudan and found hundreds of small fragments. The recovery connected telescopic observations of 2008 TC3 directly with laboratory samples.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
