There are a number of reasons that make asteroids quite fascinating. Asteroids consist of a huge assortment of valuable resources and these are commonly seen slamming into our planet.

In comparison to earth that has a magnetic field formed by its dynamo, asteroids are very small. Therefore these get cooled quickly and don't feature molten cores or magnetic dynamos.

However, in a recent study, it has been revealed that Vesta, which is known as the second-largest asteroid in the solar system, once used to possess a magnetic dynamo.

According to scientists, the rare, gem-studded meteorites that resemble like stained-glass windows could be a result of those magnetic asteroids that splattered apart in ancient collisions. Meteorites are basically blends of iron-nickel metal and transparent, gem-quality crystals of the green mineral olivine.

As said by the lead study author John Tarduno, a geophysicist at the University of Rochester in New York, "How you get a mixture of metal and these gem-like crystals has been a longstanding mystery".

As added by the investigators, there was a time when the solar system was full of hordes of these tiny magnetic asteroids. It was in 1794 when the space rocks, pallasites, were first discovered. Now, they are rarely seen. In fact, only about 50 are known today.