Tuesday, December 20, 2011

APOD 2.5

December 10th: Vesta Rocks

See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.

     The above photos are thin slices of meteorite as viewed through a polarizing microscope.  They are classified as HED's (formed from basaltic magma) and they have reflective spectra that match up with the spectra of asteroid 4 Vesta.  The asteroid is currently being explored by NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

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