Shelter Island meteorite was found on Mars by the Opportunity rover on October 1, 2009. It is about 27 centimetres (11 in) long.[4]
| Shelter Island meteorite | |
|---|---|
 Shelter Island meteorite viewed by the Opportunity rover (October 3, 2009). | |
| Type | Iron |
| Parent body | Unknown |
| Composition | Kamacite, taenite[1] |
| Weathering grade | Large-scale, cavernous weathering[1] |
| Country | Mars |
| Region | Meridiani Planum |
| Coordinates | 02°07′04″S 05°31′41.30″W / 2.11778°S 5.5281389°W[2] |
| Observed fall | No |
| Fall date | Possibly late Noachian |
| Found date | December 1, 2009 |
| Strewn field | Possibly[3] |
 Shelter Island meteorite - close-up (October 1, 2009). | |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
History
editShelter Island was the second of three iron meteorites encountered by the rover on Meridiani Planum within a few hundred meters, the others being Block Island and Mackinac Island.[1]
Shelter Island may have fallen on Mars in the late Noachian period and is extensively weathered.[1][3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Ashley, J. W.; et al. (July 2011). "Evidence for mechanical and chemical alteration of iron-nickel meteorites on Mars: Process insights for Meridiani Planum". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 116 (E7): E00F20. Bibcode:2011JGRE..116.0F20A. doi:10.1029/2010JE003672. hdl:1893/17110.
- ^ Google Mars
- ^ a b Beech, Martin; Ian M. Coulson (2010). "The making of Martian meteorite Block Island". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 404 (3): 1457. Bibcode:2010MNRAS.404.1457B. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16350.x.
- ^ "Opportunity Finds Another Meteorite". NASA. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
