Planetary Geology

Planetary geology involves the study of geological material that originate from celestial objects other than the Earth. These precious rock samples help us to understand the formation and evolution of our solar system and may have fallen to Earth naturally or been collected as human or automated sample return missions. From meteorites to pre-solar grains, the study of extra-terrestrial material requires advanced capabilities using multi-scale, multi-modal correlative analysis.
 
Microscopic analysis allows scientists to identify and characterize mineral phases, their crystal structures, and chemical compositions, helping to unravel the complexities of planetary materials. Such samples are often obtained in far lower abundance than terrestrial rocks, and therefore a large emphasis is placed on initial non-destructive techniques that maximize quantitative information.