For decades, the chronology of the planetary formation in the solar system was almost considered: first the internal planets (such as mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars), and then the exteriors, were formed. The logic was that the protoplanets are close to the sun, heatedThe profiles however a small meteorite found in the north -west of Africa this Dispute this temporary sequenceProfiles according to a recent study published in Communications Earth and EnvironmentThe first rocky planets They could form until the same Time in the internal and external areas of the solar system.
Temporary capsule arrival of space
The meteorite considered officially called NWA 12264, He weighs only 50 grams and was acquired in Morocco In 2018The profiles of its small size contrasts with the magnitude of its consequences. The team led by planetary geologist Ben Ryder-Stouks from the Open University (Great Britain) analyzed its composition and isotopic chronology with advanced methods. A results They point to The meteorite comes from the external area of the solar system, which was formed about 4564 million years agoAge comparable to the age of the oldest known breeds in the inner region.
Until now, it was believed that external planets, in order to have a large share of water and volatile materials, took more time for heat and consolidation. This estimated delay was from two to three million years, a small margin in absolute terms, but is related to a planetary scale. He New isotopic analysis of the Pig Meteorite NWA 12264, however, Offers This differentiation (that is, the formation of various inner layers of the planet) This happened simultaneously in both internal and external areas of the solar system.
Chemical traces that confirm this
Scientists have identified Key chemical signatures which indicates their The origin of the solar systemFor example, specific proportions of chrome and oxygen isotopes. These elements accurately draw the spatial origin of rocky bodies. The fact that a meteorite with these characteristics showed such an early age increases a new scenario: the construction blocks of the planet (planetary) would be formed and quickly differentiated in all regions of the solar system, not only close to the sun.
Although the difference of two million years may seem irrelevant, it is enough to rebuild the understanding of how the planets gather. If the differentiation and the formation of planetary nuclei occurred so quickly throughout the solar system, this suggests that Planetary architecture could be installed earlier and synchronized than I thoughtThe questionnaires are also important for the formation of planets in other star systems: if the conditions are reproduced, we could underestimate the speed with which potentially inhabited worlds appear.
A new approach to the evolution of primary materials
Meteor Nwa 12264, geologically, the time capsule is a time capsuleHe preserves the questionnaires that barely changed from the origin of the solar system. Thanks to the analysis of their minerals, especially Olivino and its internal structure, researchers were able to restore part of the environment in which it was formed. Isotopic uniformity and the rate of consolidation of its internal components are indicators of a much more dynamic and expanded planet training process.
The authors of the study insist that This is not a final conclusion, but an important indicator that should be tested with other similar resultsIn the case of confirmation, this new paradigm will require a review of current models of the planet’s accretion. And it can motivate New searches for meteorites with similar compositions, Both in the Earth and in future cosmic missions that explore asteroids or collect samples of distant celestial bodies.
The case of NWA 12264 shows that even smaller fragments may contain excellent answers. In front of giant telescopes or multimillion -dollar interplanetary missions, orOn a stone only a few centimeters forces to rewrite part of the history of the solar systemThe profiles “Our results coincide with the observations of protoplanetary discs in other stars, where the rapid training of planets is observed at different radial distances,” concludes conclusion.
