Shergotty meteorite

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Shergotty meteorite
Image of the meteorite.
Type Achondrite
Class Martian meteorite
Group Shergottite
Parent body Mars
Country India
Region Shergotty, Gaya district, Bihar
Fall date 1865-08-24
TKW 5-kilogram (11 lb)
Commons page [[Commons:Category:Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 446: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |Related media on Wikimedia Commons]]

The Shergotty meteorite is the first example of the shergottite Mars meteorite family. It was a 5-kilogram (11 lb) Martian meteorite which fell to Earth at Shergotty (now Sherghati), in the Gaya district, Bihar, India on 25 August 1865, and was retrieved by witnesses almost immediately.[1] Radiometric dating indicates that it solidified from a volcanic magma about 4.1 billion years ago.[2] It is composed mostly of pyroxene and is thought to have undergone preterrestrial aqueous alteration for several centuries. Certain features within its interior are suggestive of being remnants of biofilm and their associated microbial communities.[3]

See also[edit | hide | hide all]

References[edit | hide]

  1. Baalke, Ron. "Shergotty Meteorite". JPL. NASA. 
  2. Bouvier, A.; et al. (2009). "Martian meteorite chronology and the evolution of the interior of Mars". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 280: 285–295. Bibcode:2009E&PSL.280..285B. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.01.042. 
  3. Gibson Jr., E. K.; Westall, F.; McKay, D. S.; Thomas-Keprta, K.; Wentworth, S.; Romanek, C. S. "Evidence for ancient Martian life" (PDF). Johnson Space Center. Houston Texas: NASA. 

Coordinates: 24°34′26.32″N 84°47′35.4″E / 24.5739778°N 84.793167°E / 24.5739778; 84.793167

This article uses material from Shergotty meteorite on Wikipedia (view authors). License under CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikipedia logo
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