The first space object object of the week that is typically only found and studied on Earth. A chondrite, in a very bastardized explanation, is a type of meteorite that lacks a high Fe-Ni (iron and nickel) content. Chondrites are also dubbed as such from their unique spherical grains, called chondrules. These chondrules likely formed from molten drops that cooled and crystallized within the rock. Chondrites are rather interesting rocks since they formed from the protoplanetary disc of the solar system and never combined into bigger bodies of rocks. Chondrites are the literal leftovers of the planetesimals, in a sense. The crumbs might be a nice way to think about it. Beccause of this, chondrites are one of the ways we can look and determine what the early Earth could've looked like.
Last updated June 1st, 2026