meteorites. meteoroid in space meteor in atmosphere meteorite on earth meteors?
TRANSCRIPT
Meteorites are….
• Samples of planetesimals• Samples of asteroids• Oldest evidence of our solar system• Up to 4.6 billion years old!
Early Solar SystemEarly Solar System • A star explodedA star exploded• Bits of the cloud, Bits of the cloud,
called a called a nebulanebula, , began to stick began to stick togethertogether
• Gravity pulled the Gravity pulled the lumps togetherlumps together
• The lumps The lumps gathered more and gathered more and more rocky dustmore rocky dust
• They became the They became the planetsplanets
Crusty Chondrite• Can you see the
‘crust’ on this meteorite?
• Friction melted the meteorite’s surface as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere
Carbonaceous Carbonaceous chondriteschondrites
• Rare meteorites• Most studied• Formed in the solar
nebula 4.56 billion yrs ago
• Contain elemental carbon and amino acids.
Differentiation
• Some planetesimals were large• They differentiated into an iron-rich core and
a rocky mantle and crust
Iron Meteorite • Has a ‘thumb pressed’ surface
• Caused by melting due to friction in the atmorpshere
This stamp commemorates the fall of this meteorite
Iron MeteoriteIron Meteorite• Sliced to reveal
the inside• Iron-nickel alloy • Unique pattern of
crystals called ‘Widmanstätten’
Achondrites • From the crust of a planetary body
• Created by meteorite impacts
• Look like rocks from Earth
Stony meteorite(Achondrite)
• Some are from the crusts of asteroids
• Others are from the Moon and Mars
PallasitesPallasites• Mixtures of iron-
nickel alloy and non-metallic minerals
• Earth's core/mantle
Stony meteorites(Achondrites)
• Look like rocks from Earth
• Some are the crusts of asteroids
• Others are from the Moon and Mars
Tektites • Earth rocks can be melted on impact
• Molten droplets of splashed rock fall back to Earth
Moldavites • A type of tektite found in the Czech Republic
• From the Ries crater in Germany
• 15 million years old
Moldavites
Source crater
How to spot a meteorite
• Magnetic• No holes or
bubbles• Melted outside,
silver inside
• OR Dark crust, grey inside