Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies

A recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal provides new insight into the origin of H chondrites.  Since the 1990s, main belt asteroid 6-Hebe has been suggested as the probable parent body of the H chondrites.  This new research proposes that there are at least 2 source regions of H chondrites; one in the inner…

A new video released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows radar images acquired during a June 25 Earth flyby of asteroid 1999 JD6. The asteroid is made up of two distinct lobes, and measures 200 – 300 metres (660 to 980 feet) in diameter. The radar images were obtained by pairing NASA's 70-meter-wide (230-foot) Deep…

This is the question a new project at the Missouri University of Science and Technology will aim to answer. Through the testing of easily-evaporated compounds contained in meteorites, researchers will strive to develop a space-based fueling plan, utilizing near-Earth objects such as comets and asteroids, for future space travel. The project, titled “Laboratory Demonstration and…

The Perseid meteor shower is at its peak August 12 & 13, so make sure to take in the show!  At the shower's height, you can expect as many as 100 meteors per hour in the pre-dawn hours (fewer in urban areas).  The yearly Perseid meteor shower is the result of Earth's orbit intersecting the…

A new mineral, named Tissintite, has been discovered in a meteorite from Mars! This new mineral formed under high pressure during an impact shock event, and is the most vacancy-rich clinopyroxene known. Tissintite may hold new information about impact processes on Mars! The meteorite, Tissint, fell to Earth in Morocco on July 18th, 2011, and…