The minivan-sized meteorite that broke up over the Sierra on April 22 was not just any old space rock. It was one of the rarest types of meteorites to fall to Earth — a carbonaceous chondrite, the earliest solid material to form in the solar system more than 4.5 billion years ago, before the planets, including the Earth, formed.

This meteorite could turn out to be one of the most important observed fall since the late 1960s, says UC Davis geology Professor Qing-Zhu Yin.

These primitive meteorites provide a glimpse into the first few millions of years of the Solar System’s history.

Yin will give a talk Nov. 1 at Tahoe Center for Environmental, followed by a brief question-and-answer session.

The no-host bar opens at 5:30pm. The presentation begins at 6pm.

The center is at 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.