Cosmic pears from the Havelland (Germany): Ribbeck, the twelfth recorded aubrite fall in history

Author(s)

Addi Bischoff, Markus Patzek, Jean Alix Barrat, Jasper Berndt, Henner Busemann, Detlev Degering, Tommaso Di Rocco, Mattias Ek, Dennis Harries, Jose R.A. Godinho, Dieter Heinlein, Armin Kriele, Daniela Krietsch, Colin Maden, Oscar Marchhart, Rachael M. Marshal, Martin Martschini, Silke Merchel, Andreas Möller, Andreas Pack, Herbert Raab, Maximilian P. Reitze, Ina Rendtel, Miriam Rüfenacht, Oliver Sachs, Maria Schönbächler, Anja Schuppisser, Iris Weber, Alexander Wieser, Karl Wimmer

Abstract

In 1889 the German poet and novelist Theodor Fontane wrote the popular literary ballad “Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland.” The Squire von Ribbeck is described as a gentle and generous person, who often gives away pears from his pear trees to children passing by and continued donating pears after his death. Now, 135 years later the rock called Ribbeck is giving us insight into processes that happened 4.5 billion years ago. The meteorite Ribbeck (official find location: 52°37′15″N, 12°45′40″E) fell January 21, 2024, and has been classified as a brecciated aubrite. This meteoroid actually entered the Earth's atmosphere at 00:32:38 UTC over Brandenburg, west of Berlin, and the corresponding fireball was recorded by professional all sky and video cameras. More than 200 pieces (two proved by radionuclide analysis to belong to this fresh fall) were recovered totaling about 1.8 kg. Long-lived radionuclide and noble gas data are consistent with long cosmic ray exposure (55–62 Ma) and a preatmospheric radius of Ribbeck between 20 and 30 cm. The heavily brecciated aubrite consists of major (76 ± 3 vol%) coarse-grained FeO-free enstatite (En99.1Fs

Organisation(s)

Isotope Physics

External organisation(s)

Universität Münster, Institut universitaire européen de la mer, Institut Universitaire de France, Paris 75005, France., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, German Fireball Network, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht - Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung, Arbeitskreis Meteore (AKM) e.V., Kepler Sternwarte Linz, Verein Freunde des Rieskratermuseums e.V., Vogtsstr. 3

Journal

Meteoritics and Planetary Science

Volume

59

Pages

2660-2694

No. of pages

35

ISSN

1086-9379

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14245

Publication date

07-2024

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

105102 General geophysics, 103038 Space exploration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics, Space and Planetary Science

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/fc764e92-c4b9-4331-bc3d-9a585aeb8513