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Solar System
Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids
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Comets May Give Life a Hand
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
09/24/09 |
| Summary: A comet hitting Earth would seem to bring only death and destruction, but one group is studying how such an impact could promote certain necessary chemical steps in the origin of life. The researchers are focusing on how comet collisions might have influenced the molecular orientation, or handedness, of our planet's biology. |
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Catastrophic Darkness
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
09/10/09 |
| Summary: New studies of mixotrophic algae have shown how such organisms could survive the darkened skies that follow a major asteroid impact. Such studies indicate how life manages to survive after a mass extinction event. |
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Glycine in the Grid
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
08/19/09 |
| Summary: Scientists have discovered a fundamental building block of life in samples of a comet that were returned to Earth by NASA's Stardust spacecraft. The research supports the theory that some of the ingredients for life were delivered to the Earth by comet and meteorite impacts. |
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Acquitting Comets of Catastrophes
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
08/04/09 |
| Summary: Scientists have long debated the role of asteroid and comet impacts in mass extinctions on Earth. New research may indicate that it is highly unlikely that comets caused any mass extinctions. The findings could have implications in determining the likelihood of globally-damaging impacts in our planet's future. |
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Objects Approaching Earth
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
08/01/09 |
| Summary: NASA is introducing a new web site that provides information on near-Earth objects, such as asteroids and comets. Impact events have played an important role in shaping the habitability of Earth, and future impacts could have a profound effect on our planet's biosphere. |
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Solar System Spasm
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
07/22/09 |
| Summary: New research shows that many of the objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter were actually formed in the far reaches of the solar system. The study sheds new light on the processes behind the evolution of the planets. |
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The Tunguska Comet
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
07/04/09 |
| Summary: In 1908, an object originating from space impacted the Earth and leveled 830 square miles of forest in Siberia. The origins of this object were a mystery until now. With science performed on the space shuttle, researchers have determined that the 1908 Tunguska explosion was caused by a comet. |
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Rocking the Atmosphere
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
06/05/09 |
| Summary: A new study shows that frequent meteorite impacts during an early period of the solar system known as the 'Late Heavy Bombardment' may have furnished the Earth and other planets like Mars with liquid water. By providing a source of water for the Earth's oceans, these impacts could have helped to make the early earth habitable. |
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Bombardment No Barrier to Life
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
05/22/09 |
| Summary: A new study indicates that the bombardment of Earth nearly 4 billion years ago by giant asteroids would not have been sufficient to extinguish early life on the planet. The study has important implications in understanding the timing of life's origin on Earth. |
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Cooking Up Comet Crystals
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
05/20/09 |
| Summary: By studying sun-like stars, astronomers may have solved a mystery about the composition of comets. The study provides new insight into the processes behind planet and comet formation. |
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