Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: The Ribbeck meteorite fall

As a fresh fall of a very rare meteorite class, Ribbeck became a target of intensive scientific studies

The predicted Ribbeck Meteorite fall

On 20 January 2024, Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky discovered the asteroid 2024 BX1, measuring only about 40 centimetres in diameter, on a collision course with Earth. NASA's Scout and ESA's Meerkat asteroid monitoring systems predicted an impact west of Berlin at 1:33 a.m. on 21 January 2024. The resulting fireball was observed at the predicted time and recorded by ALLSKY cameras. After an initial unsuccessful search, revised calculations shifted the predicted strewn field further east. Four days later, meteorite hunters recovered the first fragment near the village of Ribbeck.

Worldwide, this is only the fourth event in which an asteroid has been observed in space, its atmospheric entry documented, and meteorites subsequently recovered on Earth.

An exceptional find

Comparison with a type specimen from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin's meteorite collection showed that Ribbeck belongs to the extremely rare class of aubrites. These account for only about 0.01 per cent of all known meteorite falls and provide valuable information on the early evolution of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. Using the Museum's analytical infrastructure—including an electron microprobe, micro X-ray fluorescence and computed tomography—the meteorite was characterised and officially recognised by the Meteoritical Society as Ribbeck just two weeks after submission.

Research and scientific analysis

A joint team from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), supported by researchers and students from Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and the SETI Institute, recovered 25 meteorite fragments with a total mass of approximately 160 grams. The specimens have been incorporated into the Museum's meteorite collection and provide an important basis for ongoing research.

Today, an international consortium of nearly 100 researchers, led by the Museum, DLR and the SETI Institute, is investigating the fragments using state-of-the-art chemical, mineralogical and spectroscopic techniques. Among other findings, the Ribbeck meteorite provides new insights into the behaviour of volatile elements during the early differentiation of the terrestrial planets. Over a period of approximately eight weeks, a total of 203 fragments with a combined mass of around 1.8 kilograms were reported.

Significance for research and society

The meteorite fall attracted considerable public attention. It was widely covered by the media, and selected fragments were presented in a special exhibition at the Museum.

At the same time, the Ribbeck event highlights the importance of modern asteroid monitoring and international collaboration. Researchers at the Museum are involved in ESA's Hera mission, which investigates methods for deflecting potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids.

The Ribbeck meteorite demonstrates how an exceptional meteorite fall can both advance our understanding of the formation of the Solar System and contribute to improving preparedness for future impact events.