Not exact matches
If this kind of
icy meteorite brought water to Earth late in the
planet's
formation, then the isotopes inside them should match the isotopes in Earth's mantle.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has documented the
formation of a small
icy object within the rings of Saturn that may be a new moon, and may also provide clues to the
formation of the
planet's known moons.
In trying to understand the
formation of the early Earth, some researchers have suggested that the
planet was dry and inhospitable to life until
icy comets pelted Earth and deposited water on the surface.
The McDonnell Distinguished Lecture this year will describe current understanding of the
formation of the solar system, particularly its mix of rocky
planets, gas giants and
icy planets.
The presence of
icy grains is expected to assist in the
formation of
planets since it creates additional, solid material to form the planetary core.
A paper published this week in Astrophysical Journal, led by Open University academics, has examined the exact structure and behaviour of the
icy particles that collide and grow at the onset of
planet -
formation, in a series of revealing experiments at the UK's world - leading neutron source, ISIS.