[meteorite-list] Re: Weird Meteorite May Be From Mars Moon

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 14:49:26 2004
Message-ID: <200404221814.LAA06777_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>Volcanic debris
>
>Among the odd materials in the meteorite were two fragments of volcanic rock
>- which only forms in massive, planet-like bodies with a core, mantle and
>crust. But much of the meteorite is a kind of carbon-rich material that only
>occurs in asteroids.
>
>Zolensky thinks this paradox could be resolved if the meteorite comes from a
>Martian moon. Both Phobos and Deimos are thought to be asteroids captured by
>Mars as they wandered through space. That would explain the carbonaceous
>material.
>
>And the pieces of volcanic rock could be bits of Mars, thrown into orbit
>when other asteroids crashed into the planet. Phobos is the more likely
>candidate: it orbits only 6000 kilometres from the planet's surface, much
>closer than Deimos, and so has probably mopped up a lot more fragments of
>Mars rock.
>
>The idea is plausible, if somewhat speculative, says Sara Russell,


Eucrites are also basaltic rocks. Based on spectra data, the parent body for
eucrites is assumted to be Vesta, and lava flows have been detected on Vesta
from Hubble images. So, volcanic material can exist on asteroids. The parent
body for this meteorite could be a large asteroid, and it doesn't have to be
Phobos or Deimos. Like the article says, the connection to Phobos/Deimos
is speculative.

Ron Baalke
Received on Thu 22 Apr 2004 02:14:13 PM PDT