Meteorites from Mercury? |
Meteorites from Mercury? |
Guest_Enceladus75_* |
Oct 28 2008, 07:09 PM
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#1
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Guests |
I see in the current issue of Astronomy magazine (November 2008) that there is a very interesting article about a class of meteorites that are theorised to have possibly originated on Mercury. We now know of meteorites that came from the Moon and Mars, and there might also be some from Venus, but I think that it is fascinating that we may have, right here on Earth, pieces of the innermost planet at hand.
Would it take a sample return mission from Mercury to prove these meteorites came from the planet or could the Messeneger results in the coming years clinch the question? What do others think? |
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Oct 29 2008, 07:35 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 688 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Sweden Member No.: 273 |
I think Venus is if anything less likely the Mercury. Escape velocity is high and the atmosphere is extremely dense. Only an impactor large enough to punch a hole right through the atmosphere for the ejecta to escape through would be any good. We are probably thinking Chicxulub size or up here. Question for Emily if you read this: Is there any young crater big enough on Venus?
Incidentally it is a bit odd that nobody has ever reported any Terran meteorite. A lot of the material ejected by impacts on Earth must eventually return here. Perhaps all the stuff from Chicxulub and the Eocene/Oligocene impacts was swept up long ago? |
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Oct 29 2008, 08:22 PM
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#3
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 9-November 07 Member No.: 3958 |
Incidentally it is a bit odd that nobody has ever reported any Terran meteorite. A lot of the material ejected by impacts on Earth must eventually return here. Perhaps all the stuff from Chicxulub and the Eocene/Oligocene impacts was swept up long ago? As I understand the consensus these days, Terran ejecta that gets swept up immediately makes tektites. But that doesn't say much about any bits that don't get melted during ejection. (Mental note to watch for Cretaceous fossils with fusion crust...) |
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