Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System

 

accretion

the gradual accumulation of mass, as by a planet forming from colliding particles in the solar nebula

exoplanet

a planet orbiting a star other than our Sun

iron meteorite

a meteorite composed primarily of iron and nickel

meteor

a small piece of solid matter that enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up, popularly called a shooting star because it is seen as a small flash of light

meteor shower

many meteors appearing to radiate from one point in the sky; produced when Earth passes through a cometary dust stream

meteorite

a portion of a meteor that survives passage through the atmosphere and strikes the ground

stony meteorite

a meteorite composed mostly of stony material, either primitive or differentiated

stony-iron meteorite

a type of differentiated meteorite that is a blend of nickel-iron and silicate materials