This course will focus on the materials in the world's collection of extraterrestrial samples and what they tell us about Earth, our nearest planetary neighbors, and the origin of our solar system. Planetary geochemical processes will be discussed through the examination of samples from comets, asteroids, Mars, the moon, Vesta, and Earth. Other topics covered will be impact cratering and the delivery of meteorites to Earth. Meteorites teach us about the earliest history of planet formation in this solar system, and we will compare this to what is observed in other solar systems. The course is intended for majors and graduate students in Wesleyan's Natural Science and Mathematics (NSM) division. |