This is a moment where technological advances, crazy space stuff, ocean exploration, and examining everything we know about the universe are coming together in one story. In early March of this year, a meteorite splashed down somewhere in the Pacific. Today, NASA scientists are spending the day diving into the depths of the ocean to find it. As a cherry on top to remind us of the social/livestream world we live in, it’s all being streamed live on Youtube.
So, how in the world will scientists recognize a space rock from well, a not space rock, lying on the bottom of the ocean floor and viewed through the camera lens of a remote-controlled vehicle? The answer to that question is both frustrating and easy: because they’re scientists. Apparently, the NASA researchers involved in this project actually have a “pretty good” idea of what the fragments of the meteorite will look like if or when they come across them. And even if they don’t find the exact fragments they’re looking for, they’ll be collecting plenty of samples to search through no matter what. On top of it all, the EV Nautilus livestream will broadcast a backup stream from the secondary remote vehicle as well. Both channels are full of commentary from the researchers as the ROV roams around looking for meteorite fragments. It’s like a free crash course in deep-sea exploration for those of us willing to geek out on this kind of stuff for a day.
