Posted on 03/14/2006 3:55:06 AM PST by S0122017
Comet dust sample contains surprises LEAGUE CITY, Texas, March 13 (UPI) -- Scientists analyzing recent samples of comet dust say they have discovered minerals that formed near the sun or other stars.
That means materials from the innermost part of the solar system could have traveled to the outer reaches, where comets formed.
"The interesting thing is we are finding these high-temperature minerals in materials from the coldest place in the solar system," said Donald Brownlee, a University of Washington astronomer and the lead scientist for NASA's Stardust mission.
Among the finds in material brought back by Stardust is olivine, a mineral that's the primary component of the green sand found on some Hawaiian beaches. It is among the most common minerals in the universe, but finding it in comet Wild 2 could challenge a common view of how such crystalline materials form.
Many astronomers believe olivine crystals form from glass when it is heated close to stars. One puzzle is why such crystals came from a comet that formed beyond the orbit of Neptune when the solar system began some 4.6 billion years ago.
Brownlee is presenting findings from NASA's Stardust sample this week during the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in League City, Texas.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved
PING
outersolar comet inside solarsystem evidence
Speculation along these lines came up at the end of a cable TV program on comets that played/replayed last night...filmed probably a few years back. Interesting to read this article this morning!
Hawaiian beaches are especially close to stars?
< blonde >
They are close to the Sun, and the sun is a star!
< /blonde>
Volcanic origin - very hot.
Perhaps the substances formed during that part of the comet's orbit.
But not all comets get close to the sun, these ones aren't supposed to have done that.
Just seems to me that NASA is jumping to the "extrasolar" conclusion a little quickly.
"aren't supposed to have" =/= "didn't".
Evidence that aliens visit Hawaii. The dust gets stuck on their landing gear and spread all over the place.
parsy, who boldly thinks where no one has thought before.
Im pretty certain someone suggested that before FOR REAL!
just check the web.
Here you go:
http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/23/news/story9.html
related:
NASA Finds Another Solar System Mystery based on Stardust mission
ap on San Diego Union Tribune | 3/13/06 | Pam Easton - ap
Posted on 03/13/2006 9:19:02 PM EST by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1595910/posts
Sehr fascinating! I have this book, Kooks, I think it is called. I may have two editions. The Raelians are out there.
parsy, who ain't too far out there.
hah yah, i saw a tv show where they interviewed people on the street and asked them whether they even knew what their organs do, like their kidneys. Apparently a great deal of people don't even know that.
One woman thought the spleen was involved in breathing.
Depressing huh?
We share material with our sister galaxy, Andromeda.
It shouldn't be a surprise that this material can be in cometary form.
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