Cold asteroids may have a soft heart
Friday, April 8, 2011 - 04:30
in Astronomy & Space
A new analysis of one of the most well-known meteorites on Earth provides strong evidence that the prevailing view of many asteroids is wrong. Rather than randomly mixed blobs of rock and dust stuck together, it appears that the asteroid that was the source of the Allende meteorite was large enough to have had a molten core, even though its surface remained cold and solid. The new view also suggests that astronomersÂ’ view of how planets like the Earth formed may need revision.