# Do other planets have precious metal?



## w0lvez (Feb 13, 2011)

Is it possible that astronauts are mining precious metal from other planet? :?:


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## Irons (Feb 13, 2011)

Even an ordinary bit of rock from the Moon is precious, considering how much it cost to retrieve it. Even mining precious metals would cost more than they are worth, at least at this point in time.


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## philddreamer (Feb 13, 2011)

I read about 2 days ago about an asteroid, that comes by earths orbit regularly, that its composition is mostly gold & other precious metals. :shock:

P.S. 
I found it! This was published back in 1999...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/401227.stm


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## patnor1011 (Feb 14, 2011)

I dont mind for that to land on my field


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## 4metals (Feb 14, 2011)

And that article was written when gold was $250. So from what I've heard on the Science Channel, apparently a few of these asteroids plowed into earth a few billion years ago and provided the earth with its share of PM's. They also said the asteroid contains high iron. So does the earths core. I wonder if the make-up of the core and the make-up of the asteroid are similar? 

If that's the case maybe we should be drilling down.......way down! 8)


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## Irons (Feb 14, 2011)

4metals said:


> And that article was written when gold was $250. So from what I've heard on the Science Channel, apparently a few of these asteroids plowed into earth a few billion years ago and provided the earth with its share of PM's. They also said the asteroid contains high iron. So does the earths core. I wonder if the make-up of the core and the make-up of the asteroid are similar?
> 
> If that's the case maybe we should be drilling down.......way down! 8)



The deeper you go, he hotter it gets. It's a big problem with current hard rock mining. People just can't survive, let alone do any useful work.

Robots might be the answer.

All you need to do is find where those Asteroids impacted. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## philddreamer (Feb 14, 2011)

As I understand, the earth itself has the precious metals just like the asteroids, but when it cooled, being so much bigger & having a molten core, these precious metals ended deep in the core. The iron, been lighter, its @ the surface, like a giant furnace. Some of the precious metals have found their way up thru hydrothermal solutions, & that's why we find them in veins. Even the sea its loaded with tons of minerals.

Some other members with geology expirience could explain better. 

Just my 2 centavos, too! :lol: 

Phil


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## rasanders22 (Feb 18, 2011)

from what little I know, precious metals are formed in stars amd released into the universe when they super nova. The atoms of PM's lump together with other atoms and eventually form planets or comets. They make their was to planets and viola, we get to go goo goo ga ga over them. 

Another interesting question, although not related to precious metals, is where does oil come from? The theory used to hunt for oil reserves is that tiny microbial life eats organic matter and poops out methane gas. The methane gas is so cold and under such pressure it crystalizes. Eventually enough of it collects and gets burried under sediment. As it moves farther down into the earths crust, the heat and pressure of the earth transform the methane into oil. These microbs are mostly found along ancient shore lines. So oil hunters go out and study old rocks looking for evidence of these microbs. If they find evidence that large amount of the microbs existed there, then they tag that spot for later investigation. But here is my question. If methan comes from microbial life, where does all the methan on other plants. A quick google search shows that there is a lot of methane on other planets. Something to make you think.


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## philddreamer (Feb 18, 2011)

The microbial might be one way, but I've seen on TV that most of the oil deposits is from ancient forest that were swamps millions of years ago & got buried & that created a "soup" that thru time was converted into oil. They were also studying places on earth, @ the present, that show this developing. In the right conditions, the carbon is left from the vegetation & that's where the oil comes from. Or something like that. 

Interesting question, where does the methane in other planets come from! 

Hum!? Interesting.

Phil


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## rasanders22 (Feb 18, 2011)

philddreamer said:


> The microbial might be one way, but I've seen on TV that most of the oil deposits is from ancient forest that were swamps millions of years ago & got buried & that created a "soup" that thru time was converted into oil. They were also studying places on earth, @ the present, that show this developing. In the right conditions, the carbon is left from the vegetation & that's where the oil comes from. Or something like that.
> 
> Interesting question, where does the methane in other planets come from!
> 
> ...



Ive been told that the theory was coal came from planets, oil from methane.


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## philddreamer (Feb 18, 2011)

Here's one link about coal for you to check out, I hope it helps.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/where-does-coal-come-from
I'll look for some on oil.

Phil

P.S.
Found one; http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/27/where-does-oil-come.html 
Just food for thought! 8)


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## turtlesteve (Feb 18, 2011)

OK, a couple of points:

1. Precious metal content in asteroids, etc. is on the order of PPM to 100's of PPM. This makes for a nice rich ore, but not substantially richer than the best ores on earth (say, the Merensky Reef). There are no asteroids, to our knowledge, that are predominantly precious metal (read the linked article more closely, and you'll realize you are mis-quoting it). Likewise, the earth's iron core is thought to have similar PGM levels to iron in meteorites & asteroids.

2. Chemical factors are very important in understanding where various minor elements partition within the Earth (more important than density). For example, uranium is the rarest element when the earth is considered as a whole (at least, of naturally occurring elements with long half-lives). However, uranium's chemical properties cause it to be enriched in the crust, where we can mine it, while platinum is enriched in the core (where we can't) - even though uranium is almost as dense as platinum. Thus, platinum is much more expensive.

2. Coal is generally understood to come from plant material (swamps), while oil and associated natural gas come from ocean-based microorganisms that are deposited and buried, after death, on the seafloor. In both cases the organic matter is deeply buried and "cooked".

Steve


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## AUJack (Feb 20, 2011)

RASanders said:


> from what little I know, precious metals are formed in stars amd released into the universe when they super nova



I have heard the same information. Is it theory or is there proof?


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## Irons (Feb 20, 2011)

AUJack said:


> RASanders said:
> 
> 
> > from what little I know, precious metals are formed in stars amd released into the universe when they super nova
> ...



Definitely proof. The supernova emission spectra will show the lines of the elements within. Stars like our Sun can only fuse elements up to Iron. It takes the massive heat and pressure of a Supernova or something similar to fuse heavy elements.


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## Harold_V (Feb 22, 2011)

Irons said:


> AUJack said:
> 
> 
> > RASanders said:
> ...



That's correct. If you'd like more information, read the book Red Giants and White Dwarfs, by Robert Jastrow. If memory serves, the precious metals are formed at something like 600 million degrees F. 

Harold


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## Jhonny Shah (May 22, 2011)

Irons said:


> Even an ordinary bit of rock from the Moon is precious, considering how much it cost to retrieve it. Even mining precious metals would cost more than they are worth, at least at this point in time.



Saw an article today about a woman arrested for selling a moon rock. Thought I'd search the forum here out of curiousity and just thought this quote was interesting XD

Was wondering if mining a near earth asteroid would be easier due to lack of air pressure/gravity? Was also thinking maybe it would be worthwhile if there were a functioning space elevator to bring it down?

Remember reading something about near mining in a book by Buckminster Fuller some years ago. I think it is hosted on a .org site for free, maybe the buckminster fuller institute site.


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## Jhonny Shah (May 30, 2011)

Saw asteroid mining mentioned at the end of an article about Peter Thiel's 20 under 20 program. Mentioned rocket feul and propulsion but no space elevator, just thought that was interesting.


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## shadybear (Jun 7, 2011)

With what I have read on this forum, from the experts I have to say,

I want to see the assay results first!


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