10 replies to this topic

[Glassthrower]

While searching for an article on the National Geographic website, I ran across a treasure trove of meteorite-related articles.

Here are some of the highlights :

"Mysterious Meteorites Stymie Scientists" -

http://news.national...meteorites.html


"Oddball" Scottish Rocks Formed By Meteorite -

http://news.national...ish-crater.html


"Giant Fireball" Impact in Peru Upends Meteorite Theory (Carancas) -

http://news.national...eru-meteor.html


"Meteorite Impact Reformulated Earth's Crust, Study Shows" -

http://news.national..._meteorite.html


"Meteorite's Organic Matter Older Than the Sun, Study Says" -

http://news.national...-meteorite.html


"First Evidence for Early Meteorite Bombardment of Earth" -

http://news.national...725_meteor.html


"Mysterious Egyptian Glass Formed by Meteorite Strike, Study Says" -

http://news.national...gypt-glass.html


"Asteroid Crash Sent "Meteorite Express" to Earth, Study Says" -

http://news.national...iteexpress.html


"Giant Meteorite Hit Ancient California, Crater Study Suggests" -

http://news.national...nia-crater.html


Here is a link to all of National Geographic's meteorite-related stories :

http://tinyurl.com/3k69rv

Enjoy!

[molniyabeer]

Cool set of stories, Mike. Thanks for the head's up. I'm going to be displaying some meteorites at an outreach session next week and these will be great to have on the table.

[The bear]

cool i like NG stuff always interesting.
doc

[Glassthrower]

It's amazing to think that meteorites could have seeded life here on Earth. At the very least, they are responsible for a sizeable portion of the heavy/exotic elements present in Earth's upper crust - (the stuff not brought up from the mantle by volcanism).

In fact, the Earth is GROWING in overall mass and size. This is due to the thousands of tons of meteoritic dust and small particles that the Earth accretes on a daily basis. If not for weathering, the entire Earth's surface would be covered in a layer of meteoritic dust several inches (or feet) deep.

If you can find a copy of it, the September 1986 issue of National Geographic has an excellent article about meteorites - complete with lots of photos.

[The bear]

i got the NG cd's i will check it out thanks for this info i like a jumping forum some it appears jump more than others. any more you can come up with in NG on this stuff would be great. doc

[The bear]

i found em..
doc

[Dick Lipke]

Mike,its interesting you mentioned that meteorites could have seeded life here on Earth.I sent a couple of links to my astronomy club about icy meteorites being a main source for the water and introducing life on Earth,and I mentiond how this is how I have always felt about the origin of life.
Needless to say I was deluged with replies of outcries of disbelief from the religious members of my stupidity.
It turned ugly after a while and a war between Darwinism fans
{myself being one} and the garden of Eden believers got way out of hand.It took a couple of weeks but everyone eventually
began to calm down,and once again the sun rose as it always has since the beginning of time here on Earth,when ever that was,and there was peace once again.
Now when I send any article to the club I leave the space for a comment blank.

[The bear]

got to love em for their efforts/beliefs this is the way i think it all started also. but then again i am only a man not a god..or gods..or an alien.
doc

[Glassthrower]

Hi Dick,

Your experience is not surprising. In fact, it's such a touchy subject, that it's one of the few issues of scientific import which is rarely (if ever) discussed here on CN. When discussing evolution or the origin of life, religion always enters the discussion - in much the same way that politics always comes into play when discussing Global Warming.

Without resorting to either religion or politics, I will say one thing about the great debate - people seem to overlook the fact that a religious or a "scientific" origin of life is not mutually exclusive. Both sides seem to rally around one extreme or the other without giving much credence to the endless possibilities that lay between an intelligent creator/designer and life that evolutionized from lower forms. In this vast universe, I would think there is room to reconcile the most rational elements of both camps. If both sides of the debate could agree to AGREE, then perhaps new aspects of the issue could be examined with fresh perspective. But as long as the creationists deny obvious facts and as long as the evolutionists refuse to consider an intelligent design FOR evolution, then we shall remain where we are - miles apart with nothing but rage, misunderstanding, and bitterness in between.

I personally believe that comets and meteorites played a significant role in the seeding and nurturing of life on this Earth. A good portion of our water and other volatiles likely hitched a ride here from elsewhere. One only has to examine meteorites like Murchison to see that the cold hard reaches of space are populated with chunks of rock that shelter complex amino acids and other compounds who play a role in the formation of conditions conducive to life as we know it.

http://en.wikipedia....hison_meteorite

Regards and clear falling skies!

MikeG

[meteorite]

WOW, Mike. Nice NG resource. Thanks.

-Walter Branch

[Dick Lipke]

I know exactly what you are talking about Mike.My younger brother was a holy terror when younger[no that is not an accidental pun] when still in school.Well was it fate or some divine intervention I don't know but he became a pastor
and imeadeatly begane trying to convert me from my evil way of thinking.All I could do was to walk in the backyard,find a rock with countless signs of fossilized life from hundreds of millions of years ago and point to it.I didn't want to sway him from his beliefs,just respect mine and do not point his finger at me accuse me of being a sinner for my beleifs.
Humans are so frightened to accept the fact that they are not unique,and life has exsited in our universe long befor the birth of our solar system.The humans IQ is just about to graduate to the first grade,while another worlds is in high school,and yet another world is about to enter college and yet another may be thinking of retireing.