Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

How can one tell if a meteorite that fell on Earth came from Mars or Venus? Couldn't it have come even from Mercury?

2 Answers

Relevance
  • 5 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    We have found about 132 meteorites from Mars. They are identified by elements and isotopes they have, similar to the rocks and atmosphere of Mars. Argon and oxygen are particularly different in Mars meteorites.

    We have one rock that *might* be from Mercury. None from Venus, maybe because the thick atmosphere slows down incoming rocks so much that ejected rocks don't have the energy to leave.

  • Erik
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    The type of rock it is, what minerals are contained in it, also the impact at which it hot the earth could indicate such.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.