Posted on 01/04/2013 9:07:09 PM PST by BenLurkin
A Martian meteorite recently found on Earth may represent a missing link between Mars' warm, wet past and its present cold and dry state, a new study shows.
The meteorite named NWA 7034 is markedly dissimilar from other meteorites from Mars that scientists have studied on Earth.
NWA 7034 has about 10 times more water content (about 6,000 parts per million) than any of the 110 other known meteorites that have fallen to Earth from Mars, suggesting that the meteorite probably came from the Martian surface, as opposed to deeper inside, said University of New Mexico planetary scientist Carl Agee, lead author of a paper describing the findings published in the Jan. 3 issue of the online journal Science Express.
Previously studied Martian meteorites, known as the SNC samples, appear to come from a different, less explored part of the Martian landscape. They probably broke away from Mars after a large asteroid impacted a certain region of the planet. But this newest sample is more representative of Mars's surface
The meteorite's age is also of interest to scientists. Most of the SNC meteorite samples date to only around 1.3 billion years ago, with the oldest being about 4.5 billion years old
The researchers confirmed the meteorite's Martian origins using a process of elimination...Mercury wasn't an option: the composition of the volcanic meteorite didn't match the surface of the closest planet to the sun. Venus didn't fit either. Scientists hypothesize that that planet's surface is too dry to produce a meteorite with NWA 7034's water content
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Well I know that since it wasn’t made of CHEESE, it didn’t come from the moon.
Even today, the sight of one of thesegives me panic attacks.
I use to work in a scientific community. The VLA. Ever hear of it.
I’ve seen “science” twisted for political gain over and over again. Ever hear of Global Warming?
This particular rock discovery just happens to be one of those discoveries that seems suspicious. Finding a rock on earth that happens to be from Mars pushes the realm of Art Bell. Is there a made in Mars stamp on the bottom of said rock?
The last time we had a rock (found in Antarctica ~1995) from Mars was soon discredited and the particular department was scheduled to be unfunded.
But but - it’s just not fair - don’t they know that cheating is hard work too?!?! /s
Remember last month when NASA was going to announce a revolutionary discovery from the Mars rover?
P.T. Barnum would have been so proud.
It’s not that. Some people here (and on other conservative forums) actually believe the earth is 10,000 years old and anything that suggests otherwise is unacceptable to them. So they ridicule it.
Same types who think the earth is inside a giant ball or something and think the stars in the night sky are just dots of light shining through from Heaven.
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