interstellar meteor

Key points:

• Analysis of the fragments is hoped to reveal whether the meteor was made up of elements different from those found in our solar system
• Professor Loeb says the fragments may be the first sign of civilisation beyond our solar system
• The meteor was detected by US ballistic missile systems in 2014

The team set out on a research boat called Silver Star in late June.

Using a magnetic sled, they excavated debris from the ocean floor where the meteor hit.

The blazing fireball was spotted over the southwestern Pacific in Papua New Guinea back in 2014.

It's now been confirmed as an interstellar object.

In fact, it's the first interstellar meteor detected in our solar system.

The rock measured only 1.5 feet wide and was hurtling towards Earth at the incredible speed of 130,000 mph.

Those sorts of speeds are unheard of for meteors within our solar system.