A rare meteorite that could reveal the secrets of our solar system's birth has been bought by the Natural History Museum.
The satsuma-sized rock, named Ivuna, has a chemical make-up which matches the sun and is considered to represent the raw materials from which the solar system was formed.
Just 0.03 per cent of meteorites known to science have this composition, and Ivuna is believed to be the best example.
Scientists hope it could help to answer the question of whether the chemical building blocks for life came from the stars.
The meteorite fell in Tanzania in 1938, and one stone weighing 705 grammes was recovered. Until now it has not been available for in-depth research, as most samples taken from that meteorite are held by the Tanzanian government or private collections.
Dr Caroline Smith, meteorite curator at the Natural History Museum, said: "We hold one of the most comprehensive meteorite collections in the world, yet Ivuna has been a missing piece in the jigsaw.
'If we can better understand the complex processes that occurred in our solar system over 4.5 billion years ago, we can apply this to other stellar systems where planets are forming today.'
Ivuna was transferred to the Natural History Museum in central London from a private collection in the US by British Airways.
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