John B. Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Hi AllI found this very interesting and won't throw these leaverites away anymore !! Happy Huntin John B. Ron Baalke <baalke@zagami.jpl.nasa.gov> 12:47 PM (2 hours ago) to Meteorite http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/home/The-First-Ever-Meteorite-from-Mercury-189374981.htmlThe First-Ever Meteorite from Mercury?by Kelly BeattySky & TelescopeFebruary 1, 2013NWA 7325 is a meteorite like no other. Found in Morocco last year,this clutch of small stones looks to be a near-perfect geochemical matchto the surface of the innermost planet.When dynamicists run the numbers, it's at least statistically possiblethat meteorites should fall to Earth from all over the inner solarsystem - even from MercurySpurred by the Messenger orbiter's close scrutiny of Mercury's surface,the hunt has been on to find meteorites from the innermost planet. Allprevious candidates (called angrites and aubrites)are close but imperfect matches to the unique composition found byMessenger on Mercury's surface: dark igneous rock enriched in magnesiumbut virtually free of iron.Now, finally, they might have one in hand.[image]Weighing just a bit more than 100 g, this is the largest fragment of themeteorite NWA 7325. Note the amazing light-green color of its fusioncrust - one of many characteristics hinting that it might be from theplanet Mercury. The cube at right is 1 cm square. Click here<http://www.sr-meteorites.de/NWA7325/nwa7325-1.JPG> for a larger view.Stefan Ralew sr-meteorites.deLast April, German meteorite dealer Stefan Ralew bought a clutch of 35 smallmeteorites that had been found a few months earlier in the Moroccan desert. Thefragments from a single fall totaled about 12 ounces (354 g). Right awayhe could see that they were unusual: Their fusion crust, created byflash heating as they decelerated in Earth's atmosphere, was greenish.This was especially evidence in the largest, golfball-size piece,weighing just over 100 g. "Green and glassy fusion crusts are known froma few lunar meteorites," Ralew explains, "but they all don't have anextreme color as this one."The new Moroccan find is now officially known as Northwest Africa 7325<http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=55627>. Ralew sentsamples to the laboratory of Anthony Irving (University of Washington),well known for his expertise with unusual meteorites from the Moon,Mars, and elsewhere.Once cut open, the stones revealed interiors full ofa stunning emerald-green silicate mineral infused with chromium. Thecrystals were relatively large and obvious, suggesting that the magmafrom which they solidified cooled slowly. Irving and his team found lotsof magnesium and calcium in the suite of silicate mineral, but even moreimportant is what didn't find: they contain virtually no iron.Irving, who'll present his team's findings<http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/2164.pdf> at aplanetary-science conference next month, is trying to keep hisenthusiasm in check. "NWA 7325 is tantalizing, and certainly moreconsistent with the Messenger results than either angrites or aubrites,"he explains, "but we need a [spacecraft-returned sample] for 'groundtruth'."[interior of meteorite NWA 7325]A polished cut surface of the meteorite NWA 7325 reveals green crystalsof the silicate mineral diopside (colored by chromium ions). Thismeteorite contains abundant magnesium and calcium yet almost no iron -hallmarks of what geochemists believe rocks from Mercury should be like.The cube is 1cm tall. Click here<http://www.sr-meteorites.de/NWA7325/nwa7325-3.JPG> for a larger view.Stefan Ralew / sr-meteorites.deShoshana Weider (Carnegie Institution of Washington), who's spent yearsstudying Messenger's spectra of Mercury<http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/2189.pdf>, likewiseoffers a cautionary note. The planet's surface seems to be rich in thesilicate mineral enstatite, which is not obvious in NWA 7325. Also,there shouldn't be so much calcium. To explain these discrepancies, sheand Irving agree that meteorite might have been a deeply buried rock -well below the surface - before a powerful collision sent it flying offinto interplanetary space.There are still many unknowns about these weirdly green space rocks.Tests are under way to determine how long ago they crystallized and howlong they were exposed to cosmic rays as they drifted in space beforereaching Earth.One way to zero in on planetary paternity would be to see if NWA 7325'sratios of three magnesium isotopes match what Messenger's gamma-rayspectrometer is seeing on Mercury. It's a challenging observation,explains Patrick Peplowski (Applied Physics Laboratory), because there'smagnesium in part of the GRS's housing. "There does exist the potentialto detect different magnesium isotopes, but I expect that the errors onany resulting isotopic ratios would be at the ~5% level," Peplowskisays. "I suspect that this is larger than would be needed to compare toNWA 7325, but I'm not sure."Another idea is to melt one of the NWA 7325 stones and then let it cooland recrystallize under controlled conditions, to see how closely theresult mimics Mercury's surface composition. "A lot of scientists willwant to get their hands on this," Weider notes.However, any researchers wanting a piece big enough to melt down willlikely have to get in line. So far Ralew has donated less than 1 ounceof NWA 7325 for scientific analysis, and he's got the rest. It's notinconceivable that bits of this unique find could fetch $5,000 per gramon the sometimes-frenzied meteorite market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Wow. $5,000 a gram. Thanks for the head's up John B. I think I saw something like that somewhere. Now where was it????Actually, it was a green crater or some kind of a green volcanic flow and I do remember where it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 This always makes me wonder about all the rock I have left behind. Walk just about any dry like and wonder how on earth that rock got where it is! Ya know what I mean? Walk for three days and only pass one quartz looking rock where there isnt any quartz.....hmmmmm.Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 With all this interest, seems like he's going to get $5000 a gram no matter what. But who makes the final determination as to whether it comes from Mercury or not?? Or will there always be a controversy over the origin?What would a Venusian meteorite look like? Hell, I'm going to save every single rock I find from now on in hopes I can get rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 There not fooling me! That there is Kryptonite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikestang Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 But who makes the final determination as to whether it comes from Mercury or not?? Or will there always be a controversy over the origin?Several teams of scientists will study samples of the meteorite and compare their findings to what we know about Mercury from current and previous missions there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rarity Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Amazing is if you Believe some of these Scientist these days!Some are right up there with CSI shows on TV! LOLI think I've seen Mineral Deposits like that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikestang Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I think I've seen Mineral Deposits like that before.You may have, as geologic processes on differentiated planetary bodies are similar throughout our solar system and not necessarily unique to our Earth, that's part of what makes identifying planetary meteorites so tricky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldstudmuffin Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Amazing is if you Believe some of these Scientist these days!Some are right up there with CSI shows on TV! LOLI think I've seen Mineral Deposits like that before.The next thing your going to tell me is professional wrestling isn't real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 The next thing your going to tell me is professional wrestling isn't real. Only the Cool Mexican ones where they weir the Cool Masks! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldstudmuffin Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Only the Cool Mexican ones where they weir the Cool Masks! LOLI love Nacho Libre!!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 (edited) Here's another recent article on this possible Mercury meteorite find along with a picture. Makes me wonder what kind of impact would be required to throw these all the way to earth IF that's where it came from. In any case, I will be looking for any greenish rocks from now on.http://www.space.com/20426-mercury-meteorite-discovery-messenger.htmlWhat a Venusian meteorite look like? Edited April 1, 2013 by Goldfinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 like little goddesses of love...of coursefred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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