Chondrules



Chondrules are spheres ranging in size from 0.5 to 5 mm commonly found in meteorites. They generally consist of intergrown olivine ( (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 )and enstatite ( Mg2(Si2O6) ). Thee textures of these sherical objects suggest that they were rapidly cooled from high temperatures. There are two main theories for the formation of chondrules. The first is that they condensed directly from the solar nebula. A more widely accepted theory is that they are the result of liquification of rock during the collision of planetesmials (proto - planetary bodies from millimeters to kilometers in size).

(taken from Hartmann W.K., Moons and Planets, 1983)



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