Cool a piece of the Sun to 1000 K at one millibar pressure to yield a mineral assemblage consistent with those found in the most primitive meteorites. This is an […]
meteorite
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Abundance, Major Element Composition and Size of Components and Matrix in CV, CO and Acfer 094 Chondrites
The relative abundances and chemical compositions of the macroscopic components or “inclusions” (chondrules and refractory inclusions) and fine-grained mineral matrix in chondritic meteorites provide constraints on astrophysical theories of inclusion […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
A Role For Meteoritic Iron In The Emergence Of Life On Earth
To the best of our current knowledge, life on Earth emerged a mere 400 to 700 million years after the Earth itself had formed.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Two Meteorites Are Providing A Detailed Look Into Astrochemistry
If you’ve ever seen a shooting star, you might have actually seen a meteor on its way to Earth. Those that land here are called meteorites and can be used […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
NASA Prepares For OSIRIS-REx Sample Delivery From Asteroid Bennu
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is cruising back to Earth with a sample it collected from the rocky surface of asteroid Bennu. When its sample capsule parachutes down into the Utah desert […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Representation Of S-process Abundances For Comparison To Data From Bulk Meteorites
Analysis of bulk meteorite compositions has revealed small isotopic variations due to the presence of material (e.g., stardust) that preserved the signature of nuclear reactions occurring in specific stellar sites. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Origin Of Water In The Terrestrial Planets: Insights From Meteorite Data And Planet Formation Models
Water condensed as ice beyond the water snowline, the location in the Sun’s natal gaseous disk where temperatures were below 170 K. As the disk evolved and cooled, the snowline […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Icy Worlds, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Status Report
New Signatures of Bio-Molecular Complexity in the Hypervelocity Impact Ejecta of Icy Moon Analogues
Impact delivery of prebiotic compounds to the early Earth from an impacting comet is considered to be one of the possible ways by which prebiotic molecules arrived on the Earth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Two Studies Of Volatile Elements Discovered In Meteorites Constrain The Assembly Of Earth
In two separate studies, researchers identify nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in the volatile elements potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) in meteorites, which constrain the origins of the material that formed Earth.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Away Team Finds A 17-pound Meteorite In Antarctica
Antarctica is a tough place to work, for obvious reasons— it’s bitterly cold, remote, and wild. However, it’s one of the best places in the world to hunt for meteorites.