Theory of the sun's role in formation of the solar system questioned
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Pale specks on the surface of this meteorite are among the oldest minerals in the solar system. An odd mix of oxygen atoms within these minerals has puzzled scientists for decades. Credit: Susan Brown
A strange mix of oxygen found in a stony meteorite that exploded over Pueblito de Allende, Mexico nearly 40 years ago has puzzled scientists ever since. Small flecks of minerals lodged in the stone and thought to date from the beginning of the solar system have a pattern of oxygen types, or isotopes, that differs from those found in all known planetary rocks, including those from Earth, its Moon and meteorites from Mars.
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