Meteorites from Vesta in polarised light
Meteorites from Vesta in polarised light
This image shows three thin sections of HED meteorites (from left: howardite, eucrite and diogenite) in polarised light. The Dawn mission has confirmed their origin as the giant asteroid Vesta. Combining numerical modelling, observations of the asteroid Vesta and a comparison with the chemical-mineralogical composition of Vesta meteorites led to the realisation that Vesta was exposed to an extensive series of impacts from large rocky bodies much earlier than previously assumed.
Credit:
NASA/Universität Tennesse