Scientists have argued for half a century about the existence of a form of diamond called lonsdaleite, which is associated with impacts by meteorites and asteroids. A group of scientists based mostly at Arizona State University now show that what has been called lonsdaleite is in fact a structurally disordered form of ordinary diamond. The […]
2014 Eugene Shoemaker Memorial Lecture – Nov 20
Rocks from Space: Tales of Life and Death in the Solar System The 2014 Eugene Shoemaker Memorial Lecture will be presented by Center for Meteorite Studies Director Meenakshi Wadhwa, Thursday, November 20th. Details and reservations are available here! […]
Geologic mapping of asteroid Vesta reveals history of large impacts
A team of 14 scientists led by David Williams of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration has completed the first global geologic and tectonic map of the asteroid Vesta. The work reveals that Vesta's history has been dominated by impacts from large meteorites. The mapping was carried out using images from NASA's […]
Center Welcomes Dr. Julia Cartwright!
The Center for Meteorite Studies is pleased to welcome Dr. Julia Cartwright as a Post Doctoral Scholar. Dr. Cartwright received her Ph. D. from the University of Manchester, and recently completed a post doctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Cartwright's research interests include the use of noble gases and halogens to […]
Magnetic fields frozen into meteorite grains tell a shocking tale of solar system birth!
The most accurate laboratory measurements yet made of magnetic fields trapped in grains within a primitive meteorite are providing important clues to how the early solar system evolved. The measurements point to shock waves traveling through the cloud of dusty gas around the newborn Sun as a major factor in solar system formation. The results […]
