4.5-Billion-Year-Old Antarctic Meteorite Yields New Mineral

Live Science ^ | April 6, 2011 | Jeanna Bryner

[decimon]

A meteorite discovered in Antarctica in 1969 has just divulged a modern secret: a new mineral, now called Wassonite.

The new mineral found in the 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite was tiny — less than one-hundredth as wide as a human hair. Still, that was enough to excite the researchers who announced the discovery Tuesday (April 5). [Image of new mineral]

"Wassonite is a mineral formed from only two elements, sulfur and titanium, yet it possesses a unique crystal structure that has not been previously observed in nature," NASA space scientist Keiko Nakamura-Messenger said in a statement.

The mineral's name, approved by the International Mineralogical Association, honors John T. Wasson, a UCLA professor known for his achievements across a broad swath of meteorite and impact research.

Grains of Wassonite were analyzed from the meteorite that has been officially designated Yamato 691 enstatite chondrite. Chondrites are primitive meteorites that scientists think were remnants shed from the original building blocks of planets. Most meteorites found on Earth fit into this group.

Yamato 691 likely originated from an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered along with eight other meteorites by members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition on the blue ice field of the Yamato Mountains. They constituted the first significant recovery of Antarctic meteorites. Follow-up searches by scientists from Japan and the United States have recovered more than 40,000 specimens, including rare Martian and lunar meteorites.

[Fred Nerks]

AHA! I think you got it...the big rock tumbled over and over and stopped on the chair...and the damage to the house is in the direction of where the men are looking.

[ApplegateRanch]

That looks like a woman’s, you know, reproductive entrance!

Now you've done it!

Laz will be along any time now, to decide whether or not to hit it.

[Swordmaker]

If it’s liquified is it Wasson Oil? Can you fry eggs in it?

[Scythian]

The other day the history channel was showing a special on a rock (found on earth mind you) that had a supposed bacterium on it. Of course, scientist claimed it was from earth. My older son actually laughed out loud when he realized what was going on.

Much of science is pure fraud today, whether by the environmentalists or the atheists ...

[Scythian]

claimed it was from Mars, uggh, I need to log off