[meteorite-list] Mars Opportunity Rover Finds a Meteorite

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jan 19 16:57:16 2005
Message-ID: <200501192157.NAA21719_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>
> Ron and List
> I was thinking(and quite frankly allowing my imagination free reign)? If the
> meteorite fell when Mars had a thick enough (and I'm not sure how thick is
> thick. Those scienists among us might like to quantify those parameters) to
> produce those classic regamglypts, this object might have fallen tens or
> hundreds of millions of years ago.
> If a thicker atmosphere is necessary to produce the spectatular thumb
> prints, this same thicker atmosphere would also weather the object and
> reduce some of the marvelous relief shown in the photos as is the case on
> earth.

Good point. We don't have a good handle of what the atmosphere was like in
Mars' past. If there was liquid water on the surface of Mars, then the atmosphere
had to have been thicker than it is today.

Ron Baalke
Received on Wed 19 Jan 2005 04:57:05 PM PST