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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Guest_Enceladus75_* |
Oct 29 2008, 12:34 PM
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#2
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Guests |
Thanks for the replies guys. It seems like the orbital dynamics go strongly against the easy passage of material from Mercury to Earth, but it is possible. The class of meteorites in the Astronomy article are called angrites, and they have a suite of unusual properties that hint that they originated much closer into the Sun than conventional asteroidal material. However, the author of the article is sceptical that angrites originated on Mercury, and says that the Messenger mission analysis of Mercury's surface will clarify the issue.
But I suppose some day meteorties from Mercury and perhaps also Venus will be found somewhere here on Earth. |
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