Ancient inner solar system material discovered in the Oort cloud

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Plazma Inferno!, May 2, 2016.

  1. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    Astronomers just discovered this space object unlike any other. It's an ancient chunk of rock and ice, long ago flung into the Oort cloud.
    What makes this hunk of rock special is that it's the first piece of matter from Earth's inner solar system neighborhood discovered returning from the Oort cloud. This frosty fringe of our solar system is where most comets call home. Even more intriguingly, astronomers think it might be fresh Earth-forming material that has been preserved for billions of years. That would make C/2014 S3 a tantalizing historical fragment without comparison.

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a20620/ancient-building-block-of-earth/

    Paper: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/4/e1600038.full
     
    danshawen likes this.

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