Planetary Chauvanism, and Zubrin-ites

From: "Al Globus"
To:
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: [spacesettlers] Re: Planetary Chauvanism, and Zubrin-ites

> Unfortunately for this theory, the asteroids that have survived to reach
> Earth's surface
> tell a different story. The composition of these objects does not match
> the spectroscopic data on asteroids in space. No one really knows why,
> but one plausible theory is that millions (or billions) of years of
> space weathering has altered the outer layers of asteroids i space. One
> example of space weathering is H3 enrichment of the Moon's surface due
> to the solar wind, so we know this sort of thing happens.
>

The Kuipier Belt objects are very, very dark and red, and the most commonly
accepted explanation for this reddish color is that cosmic rays and stuff
like that changed the composition of the outer layers of dirt ice along the
eons (creating exotic hydrocarbons and the like). That would be another
example of "space weathering", I think.

[snikt]
Lucio Coelho