Meteorite Is First Extraterrestrial Object Found to Contain Water
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events: 1900-2001
- Categories: Science
- Subcategories: Scientists, Astronomy, Astronomers, Cosmology
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present, Worldwide
- Geographical Location: Texas
- Date: March 22, 1998
Article abstract: The Monahans meteorite was the first extraterrestrial object to provide a sample of liquid water from an asteroid. The water, trapped in salt crystals, demonstrates that liquid water existed early in the history of the solar system, and the association of water with salt crystals suggests that brine evaporated on or near the surface of the asteroid.
The Fall to Earth
Witnesses saw a brilliant fireball and heard a sonic boom over West Texas on March 22, 1998. Shortly afterward, two stones, weighing 2.9 pounds (1,344 grams) and 2.7 pounds...
[The entire page is 1056 words long]