For Further Exploration: Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System
Articles
Meteors and Meteorites
Alper, J. "It Came from Outer Space." Astronomy (November 2002): 36. On the analysis of organic materials in meteorites.
Beatty, J. "Catch a Fallen Star." Sky & Telescope (August 2009): 22. On the recovery of meteorites from an impact that was seen in the sky.
Durda, D. "The Chelyabinsk Super-Meteor." Sky & Telescope (June 2013): 24. A nice summary, with photos and eyewitness reporting.
Garcia, R., & Notkin, G. "Touching the Stars without Leaving Home." Sky & Telescope (October 2008): 32. Hunting and collecting meteorites.
Kring, D. "Unlocking the Solar System’s Past." Astronomy (August 2006): 32. Part of a special issue devoted to meteorites.
Rubin, A. "Secrets of Primitive Meteorites." Scientific American (February 2013): 36. What they can teach us about the environment in which the solar system formed.
Evolution of the Solar System and Protoplanetary Disks
Jewitt, D., & Young, E. "Oceans from the Skies." Scientific American (March 2015): 36–43. How did Earth and the other inner planets get their water after the initial hot period?
Talcott, R. "How the Solar System Came to Be." Astronomy (November 2012): 24. On the formation period of the Sun and the planets.
Young, E. "Cloudy with a Chance of Stars." Scientific American (February 2010): 34. On how clouds of interstellar matter turn into star systems.
Websites
Meteors and Meteorites
- American Meteor Society: For serious observers
- British and Irish Meteorite Society
- Meteor Showers Online: By Gary Kronk
- Meteorite Information: A great collection of links for understanding and even collecting meteorites
- Meteorites from Mars: A listing and links from the Jet Propulsion Lab
- Meteors and Meteor Showers: From Astronomy magazine
- Meteors: A collection of articles on meteor observing from Sky & Telescope magazine
- Nine Planets Meteorites and Meteors Page
- Some Interesting Meteorite Falls of the Last Two Centuries
Evolution of the Solar System and Protoplanetary Disks
- Circumstellar Disk Learning Site: By Dr. Paul Kalas
- Disk Detective Project: The WISE mission is asking the public to help them find protoplanetary disks in their infrared data
Videos
Meteors and Meteorites
Meteorites and Meteor-wrongs: Video with Dr. Randy Korotev of Washington U. in St. Louis (7:05)Rare Meteorites from London’s Natural History Museum: A tour of the meteorite collection with curator Caroline Smith (18:22)
Also see a short news piece about a martian meteorite: (2:54)
What Is a Meteor Shower (and How to Watch Them): Top tips for watching meteor showers from the At-Bristol Science Center (3:18)
Evolution of the Solar System and Protoplanetary Disks
Origins of the Solar System: Video from Nova ScienceNow narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson (13:02)Where Do Planets Come From?: Public talk by Anjali Tripathi in March 2016 in the Center for Astrophysics Observatory Nights Series (56:14)