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Re: Meteorite origins





>I have a question regarding the origins of meteorites. How can it be
>proven merely through chemical analysis that a meteorite is either
>Lunar, or Martian in origin? There are other bodies in the Solar System
>that have the same chemical make up as the moon and Mars. So how can
>someone say that DAG 400, Zagami, etc. come from the moon and Mars?
>Unless every asteroid, planet, and moon in the solar system has been
>analysed, I would tend to be a little hesitant making such claims.

Well, if it contains trapped bubbles of Martian atmosphere, there is very
little one can do to disprove it. Also, if it is near identical to the
Apollo samples, there is another clue.

Asteroids do not differentiate like planets and the moon, and the do not
hold an atmosphere. Other than that, I believe you can tell it formed under
the influence of a strong gravity well by examining the crystal patterns.

As for debating the validity of chemical analysis, you should keep in mind
that these techniques are now sophisticated enough to examine a flake of
gold and show without a doubt what mine the gold came from just from the
trace elements. That is how sophisticated chemical analysis is here in the
last decade of the twentieth century.

Not to mention that there are stark chemical differences between the moon
and non-lunar meteorites.

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