Science Nasa discovers new mineral in 1969 meteorite: Wassonite
29 replies, posted
Source:[URL]http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/7/nasa-discovers-wassonite[/URL]
[QUOTE]" The [URL="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-11/02/volcanic-silica-mars"] crystalline mineral[/URL] is made of two elements: sulphur and titanium. But its structure is unlike anything that's been previously observed in nature.
The reason it took so long to discover is that it left an unimaginably small trace on the comet. The mineral is less than one-hundredth the width of a human hair or 50x450 [URL="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/06/merry-christmas-on-a-snowflake"] nanometers[/URL]: it's discovery was only made possible by the space agency's transmission electron microscope, which is capable of isolating the Wassonite grains and determining their chemical composition and atomic structure.
The meteorite, given the catchy name Yamato 691 enstatite chondrite, was found alongside eight others in 1969 from a blue ice field in [URL="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/6/penguin-robot-surveys"] Antarctica[/URL]'s Yamato Mountains. The find was so significant that the US and Japan conducted follow-up searches in the area, and in the following years, the teams recovered more than 40,000 specimens between them.
The 4.5-billion-year-old Yamato 691 meteorite likely originated from an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter It may even yield more discoveries -- the Wassonite was surrounded by never-before-seen minerals, which Nasa will investigate next. "More secrets of the [URL="http://www.wired.co.uk/topics/space"]universe[/URL] can be revealed from these specimens using 21st century nano-technology," said Nasa space scientist Keiko Nakamura-Messenger.
The mineral was named after John T. Wasson, professor at the University of California. Wasson is a pioneer in [URL="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/22/amino-acids-meteorite"] meteorite[/URL] and impact research. "
[/QUOTE]
This will help us cure cancer.
WAAAAAAAAAASSONITE!
/caps
Wasssup-onite
Please don't turn this thread into a joke about the name
[QUOTE=Nuggi1994;29048592]Please don't turn this thread into a joke about the name[/QUOTE]
Like with Cummingtonite?
Mass Effect drive residue
Sulphur and titanium, eh? Wonder what the attributes of this new mineral is?
Isn't the discovery of a new mineral from space huge news
or does it occur on earth as well but we just haven't been looking for it yet
[QUOTE=Nuggi1994;29048520][b]The meteorite, given the catchy name Yamato 691 enstatite chondrite,[/b][/QUOTE]
I always wondered why they always give such ridiculous names to comets and stuff. :confused:
[QUOTE=Timenova;29048645]I always wondered why they always give such ridiculous names to comets and stuff. :confused:[/QUOTE]
Easier to remember ? Phonetic alphabet variants ?
[QUOTE=Timenova;29048645]I always wondered why they always give such ridiculous names to comets and stuff. :confused:[/QUOTE]
Because of trillions of objects that exist in space. They found 40,000 samples alone in that one area. 691 is probably something like the 691st sample they found relevant to some sort of naming system.
[QUOTE=Mr. Bleak;29048666]Because of trillions of objects that exist in space. They found 40,000 samples alone in that one area. 691 is probably something like the 691st sample they found relevant to some sort of naming system.[/QUOTE]
That'll probably be it.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;29048640]Isn't the discovery of a new mineral from space huge news
or does it occur on earth as well but we just haven't been looking for it yet[/QUOTE]
IT IS HUGE NEWS. And the article writes about more unknown minerals
Sounds like a pokemon...
[url=http://www.sochinki.ru]проститутки сочи элитные[/url]
всегда рады увидеть вас у себя в гостях
[highlight](User was permabanned for this post ("SPambot" - Swebonny))[/highlight]
So what does the lattice look like?
[QUOTE=ironman17;29048633]Sulphur and titanium, eh? Wonder what the attributes of this new mineral is?[/QUOTE]
Light, strong, and smells of eggs
I don't care wassonite, I just wanna know wassinite
FUCK YES THIS IS HUGE NEWS
"The reason it took so long to discover is that it left an unimaginably small trace on the comet. The mineral is less than one-hundredth the width of a human hair or 50x450 nanometers"
Guys, i don't think we're gonna find much use for something like this until we find more of it!
Which probably ain't gonna happen anytime soon!
[QUOTE=GreenLeaf;29050317]"The reason it took so long to discover is that it left an unimaginably small trace on the comet. The mineral is less than one-hundredth the width of a human hair or 50x450 nanometers"
Guys, i don't think we're gonna find much use for something like this until we find more of it!
Which probably ain't gonna happen anytime soon![/QUOTE]
We could always make it.
[QUOTE=Jabberwocky;29050340]We could always make it.[/QUOTE]
no we can't
[QUOTE=Jabberwocky;29050340]We could always make it.[/QUOTE]
It is essentially Titanium Sulfide, but its the first time it has been observed in nature, and I dont know how they'd be able to reproduce its structure.
Can it be synthesized, that is the real question.
[quote][b]It may even yield more discoveries -- the Wassonite was surrounded by never-before-seen minerals, which Nasa will investigate next.[/b][/quote]
:excited:
Ok seriously, why are an earthquacke thread getting more ATT than this one. Japan get's hit every day. We don't find a new mineral everyday.
/qq
So, wassat again?
[QUOTE=ironman17;29048633]Sulphur and titanium, eh? Wonder what the attributes of this new mineral is?[/QUOTE]
Causes your dick to grow 5 inches.
From the website:
[img]http://cdni.wired.co.uk/620x413/w_z/wassonite.jpg[/img]
They found this in a vagina?
[QUOTE=Lilolia;29051569]It is essentially Titanium Sulfide, but its the first time it has been observed in nature, and I dont know how they'd be able to reproduce its structure.[/QUOTE]
Oh you'd be surprised, they'd copy it in atomical scale, but making more of it in usable amounts is going to take couple of years.
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