# Tunt stones from. Orthodox African desert may be remnants of Type Ia supernova? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729 "2022-05-20T01:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/1 "2022-05-20T01:50:20Z")
I find this story fascinating. Scientists doing forensics analysis on tiny stones from North African desert conclude that given the distribution of elements and minerals, it may be residue from a Type Ia supernova. > **[Extraterrestrial Stone Could Be First Evidence on Earth of Supernova Ia...](https://scitechdaily.com/extraterrestrial-stone-could-be-first-evidence-on-earth-of-supernova-ia-explosion/)** > > New chemistry ‘forensics’ indicates that the stone named Hypatia from the Egyptian desert could be the first physical evidence found on Earth of a supernova type Ia explosion. These rare supernovas are some of the most energetic events in the... I don’t know enough about it to say much more. Cue Carl Sagan. « Beellions of years ago … » ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/2 "2022-05-21T00:15:40Z")
I still find it crazy that there are fragments of Mars that became meteorites. But supernova meteorites?! I don’t think I could even process it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/3 "2022-05-21T00:17:13Z")
Hmm. Perhaps I should wear my glasses when I start threads when it’s getting dark. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/4 "2022-05-21T00:19:46Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Perhaps I should wear my glasses when I start threads when it’s getting dark. Although Orthodox African Tunt stones do sound very intriguing. I’m a little disappointed that this thread is _only_ about supernova fragments. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/5 "2022-05-21T00:21:57Z")
totally mundane, right? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunt-stones-from-orthodox-african-desert-may-be-remnants-of-type-ia-supernova/964729/6 "2022-05-21T03:09:35Z")
Interesting, but not the only meteorite (if it is one) to contain presolar material. > **[Meteorite Grains Are the Oldest Known Solid Material on Earth](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/meteorite-grains-are-oldest-known-solid-material-on-earth-180973953/)** > > The oldest dust sample, perhaps 7 billion years old, predates the formation of our planet and the sun