 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 Meenakshi Wadhwa, PhD
Geology Department
Curator, Meteorites
Meteorites are rocks that have fallen to the surface of the Earth from interplanetary space. They are, in essence, “space probes” that make it possible for us to explore other worlds without physically having to go there. While most meteorites originated from asteroids, a few are thought to have been ejected by large impacts on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.
Meenakshi Wadhwa studies the chemistry of these “rocks from space” to understand how and when our solar system and the planets within it were formed. To do this work, she has established a state-of-the-art geochemistry and geochronology laboratory at The Field Museum.
Wadhwa is a team member of Genesis, the NASA spacecraft mission that brought back samples of solar wind (streams of particles flowing outwards from the Sun). She will be studying these samples in her laboratory to understand the chemical composition of the Sun, which makes up more than 99% of the mass of our solar system.
She is also involved in future NASA missions to send rovers to the surface of Mars that will help us to understand the history of water on that planet and whether life ever evolved there.
Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa Interview
“What most people don't realize is that much of what we know about our beginnings, the origin of the solar system and of the Earth, and the very atoms that make up everything around us, comes from studying meteorites. Meteorites and other samples brought back from spacecraft truly offer us a unique opportunity to understand the inner workings of the physical universe around us.”
 To learn more about the oldest rocks on Earth—and beyond—take a look at the Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa Video created for the Evolving Planet exhibition.
To view video please select a format:
 |
Best for Macintosh users |
 |
Best for Window users |
To access the above feature, you will need either Quicktime or Windows Media for your browser
Continue to Dr. John R. Bolt. >>
|
|
|
|
|
|
