Enstatite chondrite

The enstatite chondrites (E chondrites ) are a rare group of meteorites chondrites that contain the mineral enstatite.

They differ from the ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites is that the iron component is present almost only in reduced, metallic form. This suggests that the parent body of the E- chondrites, even if they are now in the asteroid belt, are originated in an oxygen- poor environment than the ordinary chondrites, that does not mean the asteroid belt - such as the ordinary chondrites - but in a shorter distance to the sun.

From measurements of the 53Cr/52Cr-Verhältnisses the chromium isotopes of soil samples, Mars meteorites and HED meteorites from the asteroid belt, it is concluded that in the solar system increases the 53Cr/52Cr-Verhältnis with the distance to the sun. The 53Cr/52Cr-Verhältnis the enstatite chondrites would therefore indicate an origin of the enstatite parent bodies at 1.4 astronomical units, just inside the central orbit of Mars (1.524 astronomical units ).

Mohapatra and Murty (2003) concluded from the comparison of the isotopes of oxygen and nitrogen in Martian meteorites, ordinary chondrites and enstatite chondrites that Mars similar to the enstatite chondrites and the ordinary chondrites in a ratio of 74:26 of accreted material.

Depending on their metal content, the E- chondrites in the groups EH (High Metal, with about 29 % iron) or EL (Low Metal, with about 22 % iron) divided.

However, both groups are likely to originate from a common parent body. When EH4 Abee meteorite ( Canada ), the largest with 107 kg Enstatiten found, is suspected as the source body of the planet Mercury, which in the art, however, is controversial.