An anomalous basaltic meteorite from the innermost main belt.
Triangulated observations of fireballs allow us to determine orbits and fall positions for meteorites. The great majority of basaltic meteorites are derived from the asteroid 4 Vesta. We report on a recent fall that has orbital properties and an oxygen isotope composition that suggest a distinct parent body. Although its orbit was almost entirely contained within Earth's orbit, modeling indicates that it originated from the innermost main belt. Because the meteorite parent body would likely be classified as a V-type asteroid, V-type precursors for basaltic meteorites unrelated to Vesta may reside in the inner main belt. This starting location is in agreement with predictions of a planetesimal evolution model that postulates the formation of differentiated asteroids in the terrestrial planet region, with surviving fragments concentrated in the innermost main belt.
Bland
Philip A
PA
IARC, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK. p.a.bland@imperial.ac.uk
Spurny
Pavel
P
Towner
Martin C
MC
Bevan
Alex W R
AW
Singleton
Andrew T
AT
Bottke
William F
WF
Greenwood
Richard C
RC
Chesley
Steven R
SR
Shrbeny
Lukas
L
Borovicka
Jiri
J
Ceplecha
Zdenek
Z
McClafferty
Terence P
TP
Vaughan
David
D
Benedix
Gretchen K
GK
Deacon
Geoff
G
Howard
Kieren T
KT
Franchi
Ian A
IA
Hough
Robert M
RM