Why are meteorites considered remarkably pristine samples offering insights into the early Solar System?
Answer
They have spent their existence floating in near-vacuum, untouched by terrestrial geology
The scientific value of meteorites stems largely from their pristine condition, as they function as direct physical samples of the primordial material that formed the planets billions of years ago. For the majority of their existence, these objects have been suspended in the near-vacuum of space. This prolonged isolation means they have been largely unaffected by the geological and atmospheric processes that constantly reshape Earth's surface materials, such as erosion, weathering, or metamorphic change. The only significant alteration they suffer, other than the ablation during entry, occurs after they finally land on Earth.
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