[meteorite-list] PRL To Unravel India Meteor Mystery

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:23 2004
Message-ID: <200310081644.JAA19255_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=65145

PRL to unravel meteor mystery
Ahmedabad Newsline (India)
October 7, 2003

Ahmedabad: A piece of rock is the centre of attraction at Physical
Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad these days. The 250-gm rock
piece that holds the promise of unravelling the many mysteries of
solar system, is a part of the meteorite that landed in Orissa on
September 27, and has been brought here by a team of PRL scientists.

Although the scientists here are not sure of the age of the rock at
the moment, looking at the chondrules (small rounded structures on
the rock), they say it appears to be part of some of the most
primitive material in space. Scientists say since the rock is
radioactive, tests can reveal its age and its detailed study will
help them infer what happened in the solar system way back.

"This rock (meteorite) is no ordinary piece of stone, as it has in
it imprints of the changes that have taken place in the space during
the last 4.6 billion years," said a scientist from PRL who visited
Orissa. PRL scientists say the iron veins in the rock suggest that
after its formation, the rock was subjected to intense heat,
following which iron must have flowed into the cracks.

A meteorite is a piece of extra-terrestrial solid mass that has
survived atmospheric friction and landed on earth.

Scientists say when these pieces of extra-terrestrial rocks orbiting
the solar system collide with each other, they leave their orbits
and travel through earth's atmosphere to land on earth. Usually, a
major chunk of the rocks burn during their passage, but whatever
matter survive the friction and reach the earth are mines of
information.

Scientists at PRL say these "meteoric rains" are very important as
they provide us with "free samples" of rocks from space.

PRL scientists said the rock will be a subject of intense study to
find out details about its mineralogy, composition, history and
various other factors.
 
Received on Wed 08 Oct 2003 12:44:55 PM PDT