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Updated: May 27, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Cosmochemistry: Understanding the Solar System through analysis of extraterrestrial materials
Glenn J MacPherson1, Mark H Thiemens
1Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0119, USA. macphers@si.edu
Abstract:
Cosmochemistry is the chemical analysis of extraterrestrial materials. This term generally is taken to mean laboratory analysis, which is the cosmochemistry gold standard because of the ability for repeated analysis under highly controlled conditions using the most advanced instrumentation unhindered by limitations in power, space, or environment. Over the past 40 y, advances in technology have enabled telescopic and spacecraft instruments to provide important data that significantly complement the laboratory data. In this special edition, recent advances in the state of the art of cosmochemistry are presented, which range from instrumental analysis of meteorites to theoretical-computational and astronomical observations.
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