Team Finds Oldest Known Asteroids

Sample #3509 of the CV3 meteorite Allende sawed into ~ 1 cm thick slabs (a cm-sized cube marked 'T' is included for scale). Refractory inclusions suitable for both thin sectioning and crushing into powders were identified as shown here for slabs number 5 and 6. After recording their locations, CAIs were cored out from slabs and both thin sections and thick butts were produced. Part of the remaining sample was carefully excavated to avoid contamination from matrix materials and crushed into powders for spectral measurements. Credit: University of Maryland