Access

News and Views

Nature 432, 957-958 (23 December 2004) | doi:10.1038/432957a; Published online 22 December 2004

Early Solar System: Shock fronts in Hawaii

Alan P. Boss1

Top

The most vexing question in meteoritics is on the verge of being answered — what process led to the small droplets of primordial dust that are found throughout the most primitive meteorites?

The meteorites and comets that were formed in the solar nebula, the planet-forming disk of gas and dust that became our Solar System, have been largely unaltered over time, and their structure provides clues about the physical and chemical processes that occurred in the nebula. One group of early meteorites, chondritic meteorites, are composed largely of chondrules — millimetre-sized spheroids with well-defined edges resembling "drops of fiery rain"1.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Meteoritics How to make a chondrule

Nature News and Views (25 May 2006)

Small spheres of influence

Nature News and Views (17 Nov 1994)

See all 9 matches for News And Views