[meteorite-list] the chemistry of the universe

[Rob McCafferty]

--- On Wed, 9/2/09, Meteorites USA <eric at meteoritesusa.com> wrote:

How many unknown minerals,
> and chemicals have we yet to discover? We're assuming that
> everything is pretty much the same throughout the universe
> chemically. I ask you this. How can we state that
> unequivocally? We can't.. 


Well, actually, we can.

Spectroscopy informs us quite equivocally that the elements of matter on earth are the same as the elements across the universe. The laws of physics and chemistry is universally the same and atoms will join up with each other the same as they do on earth or in a laboratory under the same conditions of pressure, temperature and concentration producing the same minerals wherever they are. 

Yes, we will find a few new minerals formed under exceptional circumstances that perhaps we haven't even conceived of yet, or been unable to examine using current technology but generally, what you see here is pretty much all there is out there, too.

Rob McC