[meteorite-list] Never underestimate or dismiss Spectroscopy

From: Benjamin P. Sun <bpsun2009_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 18:24:44 -0400
Message-ID: <CAE1PX86a4Nm5-M4aKWNzUgG9TkRD=ZkFZ7=tGbF_mJBkmSnThw_at_mail.gmail.com>

Carl wrote:

"You may be right about Vesta and Eucrites but, without an actual sample return
it is still merely an educated guess."

I would say that from the data gathered and from the conclusions of
the scientists working with the Dawn mission result to more than that
of an educated guess.
Spectroscopy from the Dawn misson is the most accurate evidence we
have so far. The link between Vesta and HED's had been established.
Now with the Dawn space probe data, it's verified.

To send an expensive sample return mission to Vesta merely further
verifiy the link is unneccesary. Ideally, they should. If money was
not an issue, I would not mind if they did. But realistically and
practically, they won't. The space program should be more focused on
new discoveries and exploration.

I am not saying that all meteorites classified as eucrites are indeed
eucrites from Vesta. The rare odd eucrite may or may not have come
from Vesta or one of the many Vestiods. Though they may differ in
some way from the majority of other eucrites, how can you say
definitively that the anomalous eucrites are from a different PB?
Especially seeing how varied & diverse Vesta is and it's long history.

What you have is a mere possiblity that there is another PB
responsible for the few rare odd eucrites. And still that is just one
of the many possibilites that could explain them.



"According to the latest probes of Mercury we still don't know what
it's surface
rocks would compare to in our collections."


Maybe because there is nothing to compare with. Perhaps there are no
mercurian meteorites in our collections. Which I believe is the case.
There are theories, but no truly substantial connection. This is in
contrast to Vesta & HED's.
It's much easier for a piece of Vesta to escape and "fall down", than
it is for a piece of Mercury to "fall up" to Earth's orbit.
Received on Fri 18 May 2012 06:24:44 PM PDT