Saturday, October 5, 2013

New Clues to the Early Solar System from Ancient Meteorites



This article broadened my perspective on the term meteorites. Meteorites specifically, not meteoroids, play a major role in helping scientists determine some important details of our solar system's past. Through analysis of these meteorites, clues to information like the Earth's "formation from Solar System material into the present-day layering of metal core and mantle, and crust" can be unlocked. Diogenites, in particular, have recently helped the investigation of Earth's past and even our solar system. Diogenites are an old type of meteorites that are presumed to come from the asteroid Vesta, or a body similar to Vesta. Several samples of diogenites, collected from Antarctica and the African desert,  helped scientists determine that the crystallization that formed within them took a place about 4.6 billion years ago, nearly two million years after the existence of the oldest bodies in our solar system. "This new understanding of diogenites gives us a better picture of the earliest days of our Solar System and will help us understand the Earth's birth and infancy," stated Carnegie's Doug Rumble. Overall, taking all this information in, it was interesting to learn that this particular meteorite, diogenite, might hold so many answers to our limitless questions.

 

1 comment:

  1. Good summary, but there was also a connection to what these meteorites tell us about Earth. Any idea?

    ReplyDelete