Moon and Mercury

StarDate

Early in its history, the inner solar system was chaotic. Violent collisions might have destroyed many small worlds, while perhaps creating others – including the Moon. It probably formed when a planet as big as Mars rammed into Earth, blasting out debris that came together to make the Moon.

A recent study says that a meteorite discovered a few years ago might be a remnant of one of the demolished worlds.

NWA 15915 was discovered in Algeria. Scientists analyzed the composition, structure, and magnetic properties of the six-pound meteorite. They concluded that it’s a rare type of meteorite – it doesn’t come from any known asteroid, planet, or moon.

But it does have some similarities to Mercury, the smallest planet and the one closest to the Sun. The study suggests that NWA 15915 might have come from a Mercury-like planet born in the same region of the solar system. The planet was demolished long ago by a giant impact. But a few fragments remain.

The findings are preliminary. So it’ll take more work to confirm that a piece of a dead planet fell atop the desert sands of northwestern Africa.

Mercury itself is near the Moon this evening. It looks like a fairly bright star to the left of the Moon. They’re quite low in the sky as twilight fades, so you need a clear horizon to spot them.

Script by Damond Benningfield