Ancient meteorite's magnetic fields gives clues to the formation of the universe
Photo courtesy of Mila Zinkova

Excerpt from
savingadvice.com 

A better understanding of how the universe was formed comes from what is left of a meteorite. The meteorite is named Semarkona, and it touched down in India in the 1940′s. Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration wanted to measure the magnetic levels of the meteorite, and in doing so, they have shown we are closer to understanding how the solar system was formed.

It would seem rather insignificant given its size of just one and a half pounds, but it was formed over four and a half billion years ago. Researchers admit the magnetic flux of the rock mimics the magnetic forces here on the planet.

Every magnetic fluctuation of Semarkona has been mapped and the fluctuations of the magnetic field recorded in a study that is the first of its kind. This has given researchers more insight into the magnetic fields that were pivotal in forming the universe.

The study, aptly named Solar nebula magnetic fields recorded in the Semarkona meteorite was published in the November 13 issue of the journal Science.