How Do You Trace a Meteorite Back To Its Home?

The video discusses meteorites, their origins, and how astronomers traced a specific meteorite, Motopi Pan, back to its source on the asteroid Vesta. The Catalina Sky Survey detected an asteroid before it hit Earth, allowing for precise predictions of its landing. After recovery, the meteorite's composition was matched to Vesta, and its trajectory was reverse-engineered to pinpoint its origin. This achievement highlights the potential of forensic astronomy in understanding the solar system.

What is the primary challenge in studying meteorites to learn about the solar system?

• Identifying their chemical composition

• Preserving them from weathering

• Determining their exact origin

• Finding them on Earth

What was significant about the asteroid spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey in June 2018?

• It was the largest asteroid ever detected

• It was the first asteroid to land in Botswana

• It was the first asteroid detected before impact

• It was only the second time an incoming asteroid was spotted before impact

How many fragments of the meteorite were found in Botswana?

• 10

• 15

• 23

• 30

What did the Dawn Probe study in the asteroid belt?

• The asteroid belt's moons

• The asteroid belt's comets

• The asteroid belt's two largest objects

• The asteroid belt's smallest objects

What was the Motopi Pan meteorite's connection to Vesta?

• It matched Vesta's chemical composition

• It had a unique chemical composition

• It was the first meteorite from Vesta

• It was found on Vesta

How long had the Motopi Pan meteorite been traveling through space?

• 22 million years

• 15 million years

• 10 million years

• 30 million years

What crater on Vesta is believed to be the origin of the Motopi Pan meteorite?

• Tycho

• Ceres

• Rubria

• Herschel