Asteroid’s ‘unique trajectory’ created world’s longest meteorite field in China

When an asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere – probably long ago – above what is today’s Altay area of Xinjiang, in the far west of China, the thermal shock ripped it apart and created one of the world’s biggest iron meteor showers.

Fragments – some weighing 20 tonnes and some just tens of kilograms – were scattered across a vast expanse that spans some 430km (267 miles), the longest known meteorite field. It was unlike anything scientists had seen before; meteorites from the same “parent body” usually end up no more than 30km to 40km apart.