In California, broke real "Meteorite fever"

Space debris formed in the destruction of an asteroid the size of a minivan, which broke into the Earth's atmosphere and excellent flying day "fireball" in heaven over California and part of Nevada April 22 this year. Meteorite fragments were scattered around Sutter's Mill, an old sawmill in Coloma, California - the same area, where he found the first gold nugget, causing Gold Rush in 1848.

Now, NASA officials appeared irresistible impulse to search for fragments of the meteorite, as exciting as the California Gold Rush, says space agency.

Scientists and meteorite hunters gathered at the nearby areas in the hope of finding precious minerals space, which may contain clues about the history of the solar system, as well as the origin of the molecules that led to the life on the planet.

Fragments from the so-called Sutter's Mill Meteorite fell onto the surface of the Earth on April 22 at 7:51 am (10:51 ET). At least one fragment of space landed on the horse's pasture outside the town of Lotus, California, in the Sierra Nevada, according to a report by NASA scientists. Merv de Hass, who owns the farm, found the meteorite and donated his agency NASA.

Meteorite found de Hass, very rare, and scientists are very interested in his study because it may contain molecules that explain how the standard "building blocks of life" appeared on Earth. Chemicals meteorite could also help astronomers understand the early solar system and how the planets were formed.

"Meteorite Sutter's Mill is among the most chemically primitive meteorites," said in a statement Greg Schmidt, deputy director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI). "He comes to find out 'how life began on Earth?'. This is - exciting stuff - no one yet knows what's inside. Sutter's Mill Meteorite could be the most important model, among collected for more than 40 years ».

Until now, a splinter of a meteorite found de Hass family, is one of the largest fragments found, but further searches of the meteorite is expected to continue over the next few months, NASA scientists say.