[meteorite-list] Micro Planet - APOD

From: Meteorites USA <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:36:23 -0800
Message-ID: <4B499F97.7040102_at_meteoritesusa.com>

Soooo Cool!

Looks like a tiny planet...

A Spherule from the Earth's Moon
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100110.html

"...Explanation: How did this spherule come to be on the Moon? When a
meteorite strikes the Moon, the energy of the impact melts some of the
splattering rock, a fraction of which might cool into tiny glass beads.
Many of these glass beads were present in lunar soil samples returned to
Earth by the Apollo missions. Pictured above is one such glass spherule
that measures only a quarter of a millimeter across. This spherule is
particularly interesting because it has been victim to an even smaller
impact. A miniature crater is visible on the upper left, surrounded by a
fragmented area caused by the shockwaves of the small impact. By dating
many of these impacts, astronomers can estimate the history of cratering
on our Moon..."

Enjoy...

Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
Received on Sun 10 Jan 2010 04:36:23 AM PST