How Are Meteorites Made? And OSIRIS-REX

Have your folks send your questions to [email protected] 🚀 Please consider leaving a rating and review. It helps the podcast reach the ears of more science-loving kids and their families!

 

1. What a Meteorite?:

  • Introduction to meteorites as rocks from space.
  • Explanation of the word "meteorite" and its connection to meteors.

2. The Terminology of Space Rocks:

  • Clarification of key terms: meteor, meteoroid, asteroid, and comet.
  • Meteoroids as leftover materials from the solar system's formation.

3. Meteorites as Time Capsules:

  • Insights into the early solar system provided by meteorites.
  • Preservation of original materials, making them "fossils" from the past.

4. Challenges in Meteorite Study:

  • Explanation of the challenges meteorites face during atmospheric entry.
  • Changes on the outside of meteorites due to atmospheric entry.

5. Osiris Rex Mission and Ongoing Research:

  • Introduction to the Osiris Rex mission to asteroid Bennu and its return to Earth.
  • Importance of missions like Osiris Rex in studying pristine space materials.
  • The mission's extended mission, now known as OSIRIS APEX, to study asteroid Apophis.