Alais meteorite

Alais
Type	Chondrite
Class	Carbonaceous chondrite
Group	CI1
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Coordinates	44°7′N 4°5′E
Observed fall	Yes
Fall date	15 March 1806
TKW	6 kg (13 lb 4 oz)
A fragment of the meteorite on display in 2018

Alais or Allais is the first carbonaceous chondrite meteorite identified. It fell near Alès in 1806 in multiple fragments which together weighed 6 kg (13 lb 4 oz), although only 0.26 kg (9.2 oz) remains. The meteorite contains a number of elements in similar proportions to the Solar System in its primordial state. It also contains organic compounds and water. It has proved to be one of the most important meteorites discovered in France.

History

At 17:00 on 15 March 1806, two detonations were heard near Alès in Gard, France. Shortly afterwards, two soft black stones were discovered in the villages of Saint-Étienne-de-l'Olm and Castelnau-Valence, weighing 4 kg (8 lb 13 oz) and 2 kg (4 lb 7 oz) respectively. The fragments were collected by people who observed the impact and given to two scientists that lived locally. The meteorite was analysed by Louis Jacques Thénard, who published a study in 1807, showing that it had a high carbon content. It was initially doubted that the fragments were of non-terrestrial origins as their attributes were markedly different to existing meteorites. However, it was increasingly realised that this was a new, albeit rare, type of meteorite. The meteorite is also known as Valence.

Curation and distribution

As an early fall (soon after the consensus that meteorites were real, extraterrestrial phenomenon), Alais has largely been dispersed. Few samples have been preserved, less than Orgueil, but more than Tonk and particularly Revelstoke.

Org	Mass	Place	Country	Ref
Mus. NdH	45 g	Paris	France
Geol. Surv. Ind.	5g	Kolkata	India
Vat. Met. Coll.	4.5g	Castel Gandolfo	Italy
ASU	3g	Tempe	USA
Field Mus.	3.6g	Chicago	USA
Uni. Tübingen	1.9g	Tübingen	Germany
Geol. Surv. Ca.	1.9g	Ottawa	Canada
Mus. fur Nat.	1.7g	Berlin	Germany
Nat. Hist. Mus.	1.7g	Wien	Austria
Smithsonian	0.7g	Washington	USA
Am. Mus. N.H.	0.6g	New York	USA
IfP	0.5g	Munster	Germany
Ro. Akad. Nauk.	<.5g	Moscow	Russia
West. Aus. Mus.	<.5g	Perth	Australia
DuPont Coll.	0.2g	Palatine	USA

Source: Grady, M. M. Catalogue of Meteorites, 5th Edition, Cambridge University Press

Description

Overview

The Alais meteorite is one of the most important meteorites in France. It is black with loose friable textures with a low density of less than 1.7 g/cm³ (0.061 lb/cu in). Originally consisting of fragments that together weighed 6 kg (13 lb 4 oz), it has been subject to substantial scientific examination and currently only 260 g (9.2 oz) remains. A fragment, weighing 39.3 g (1.39 oz) is held by the National Museum of Natural History, France.

Composition and classification

The meteorite is one of five known meteorites belonging to the CI chondrite group. This group is remarkable for having an elemental distribution that has the strongest similarity to that of the solar nebula. Except for certain volatile elements, like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and the noble gases, which are not present in the meteorites in the same proportions, the ratios of the elements are very similar. The meteorite contains cubanite, dolomite, fosterite, pyrrhotite and zircon amongst other minerals.

Origin of life controversy

The meteorite has been at the centre of controversial claims about an extraterrestrial origin of life since the discovery of organic matter on the meteorite by Jöns Jacob Berzelius. Organic compounds, amino acids and water have been found in the meteorite. However, studies differentiate between organic and biological matter, the latter not being present.

See also

• Glossary of meteoritics

References

Bibliography

• Faidit, Jean-Michel. (2006). "Bicentenaire de la météorite d'Alais". L'Astronomie. 120: 162–165.
• Caillet Comorowski, C.L.V. (2006). "The meteorite collection of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France". In McCall, G.J.H.; et al. (eds.). The History of Meteoritics and Key Meteorite Collections: Fireballs, Falls and Finds. London: The Geological Society. pp. 163–204. ISBN 978-1-86239-194-9.
• Chyba, Christopher F. (1990). "Extraterrestrial amino acids and terrestrial life". Nature. 348 (6297): 113–114. Bibcode:1990Natur.348..113C. doi:10.1038/348113a0. S2CID 4244056.
• McCall, G.J.H.; et al. (2006). "The history of meteoritics – an overview". In McCall, G.J.H.; et al. (eds.). The History of Meteoritics and Key Meteorite Collections: Fireballs, Falls and Finds. London: The Geological Society. pp. 1–13. ISBN 978-1-86239-194-9.
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• Mason, Brian (1967). "Meteorites". American Scientist. 55 (4): 429–455.