- Industry: Astronomy
- Number of terms: 6727
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. The website is supported by the Cosmochemistry Program of NASA's Science Mission ...
Zones in a lava flow where the lava between the zones is moving faster than the lava outside the zones.
Industry:Astronomy
Chemical elements that vaporize (that is, boil) at relatively low temperatures. Examples are water (H<sub>2</sub>O), carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH<sub>4</sub>), ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>), potassium (K), sodium (Na), and lead (Pb). The opposite of volatile is refractory.
Industry:Astronomy
Instrument that produces and measures, usually by electrical means, a mass spectrum. It separates ions according to the ratio of their mass to charge, allowing scientists to determine the abundances of each isotope.
Industry:Astronomy
Energy derived from the Sun or sunlight for use as a source of electricity.
Industry:Astronomy
An element with atomic number 12; symbol: Mg. Magnesium is contained in the minerals olivine and pyroxene, and is very abundant in the mantles of the inner planets.
Industry:Astronomy
Large concentration of gas (roughly 75% hydrogen and 21-24% helium with trace amounts of other molecules), dust, and mineral grains. Our Solar System formed out of one approximately 4. 55 billion years ago.
Industry:Astronomy
Common rock-forming mineral containing the carbonate ion, CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2-</sup>. Common carbonate minerals are calcite, CaCO<sub>3</sub>; siderite, FeCaCO<sub><sub>3</sub></sub>; magnesite, MgCO<sub>3</sub>; dolomite, CaMg(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>; and ankerite, Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>.
Industry:Astronomy
An element with atomic number 14; symbol: Si. Silicon is the most abundant element besides oxygen in planets, and forms the basis for silicate minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase.
Industry:Astronomy
