How are asteroids/meteoroids/meteorites helpful to us Earthlings? URGENT!?

Question

For example do meteorites have exotic metals that are priceless to our existence? I know this sounds far fetched, but I have to do this for my Geography project. I searched the internet, but i have not got ANY results whatsoever. Maybe some extraterrestial pro can help me out. Please Help! Even if they are not helpful, but have something unique about them. For example even though volcanoes are dangerous, they are helpful in that the ash is rich in nutrients. Anything special of that sort for meteorites/asteroids/meteoroids? Please please I really need help!!!!

Answer 1

In a sense, meteorites are responsible for our entire modern economy. In the late stone age, humans found that copper, the first metal, could be found in its pure, native form, and it was better than stone and bone and wood for a variety of purposes. But native copper is very, very hard to find and very rare. It was later discovered that heating certain greenish rocks up to real high temperatures would yield copper. Soon copper items became much more plentiful. Then it was found that mixing copper and tin made a superior metal called bronze. Many wars were fought with bronze weapons. Then, and this is the meteor part, someone found an iron meteorite and turned it into a REALLY excellent weapon. It was thought to be the "metal of the gods" because it was more than twice as strong as bronze and it literally came from heaven. But iron from meteorites was EXTREMELY rare. (Iron does not occur in its pure form on earth because it rusts too easily.) But some smart person realized that copper rusts "green" and copper ore is also green. Maybe since iron rusts "red" that iron ore is red? A group of people called the Hittites in what is now Turkey figured out how to smelt iron, yes, iron from reddish rocks! They soon had plenty of excellent weapons and became essentially invincible on the battle field. But like all military secrets, the secret got out, and soon everybody had iron weapons. The rest, as they say, is history. And it all came from meteorites in the beginning! (The ancients would not have had a clue about whether iron even existed were it not for meteorites.) I hope this helps.
P.S. I have read an excellent book called "Mining the Sky" by a Dr Lewis, PhD. It details how valuable asteroids will become to humanity in the next few centuries. It seems that our whole economy of 200 years hence will be based on asteroids and the like. Interesting thought.

Answer 2

In modern times they are useful mainly for scientific purposes. For example, there are some meteorites that have been proven to have originated on Mars, it allows us to study that planet without sending probes, collectors etc.

In ancient times, meteorites contained a higher and purer concentration of nickel-iron than could be smelted from ore.

Answer 3

It has been postulated that we owe our very existance to the impact of a Comet or Asteroid that may have brought the seeds of life., It has also been thought that the presence of our water may have come from the repeated impacts of comets. and if nothing else, if it were not for asteroids dinosaurs would be at the top of the evolutionary ladder instead of us.

Answer 4

They are very helpful for scientist'. Gives people like that high paying jobs. Shows Us that there is more to life than the way; We see it. We have no CONTROL over that sort of stuff. It's natures way of showing Us that the Sky is larger and more POWERFUL than a mere Human. But its up to You to answer. There comes a time in this life, when We have to use our own imagination. Your imagination is as valid as anyone else's.

Answer 5

They have no material value on Earth. They do bring a good price as collector's items though.

Some visionaries envision mining them in space to get materials to build large structures in space without having to use expensive rockets to lift all that material off the Earth, but that is all just speculation about the future.

Answer 6

they believe that one killed out the dinosaurs, thereby allowing mammals to evolve into higher forms.

comets brought water and organic materials to the earth

there aren't really any exotic minerals in asteroids that we can't get on earth.

other than that they are more of a hazard than a help.

Answer 7

as of yet they arent terribly helpful, they that do land are no larger than a basketball after burning for so long. but if we could get up there and mine them before they burn up, then yes new metals and liquids would probably be found. its so cold up their meteorites are frozen usualy. nasa is planing on shooting one in the next dozen or so years.

Answer 8

They make interesting craters sometimes. There is a big one in Arizona that is a tourist attraction.

Answer 9

They will take us out and good on em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!