| Astrophysics (Index) | About |
Carbonaceous chondrite (C chondrite, CC meteorite, or CC) is a category of meteorite: specifically one that is stony rather than metallic, that shows no signs of melting, and that includes carbon compounds. They represent only about one in twenty meteorites. Various subclasses of carbonaceous chondrites include those with significant water and/or amino acids, or show very close correlation to the makeup of the solar photosphere. Such meteorites have been theorized as Earth's source of water.
The term NC meteorite (or just NC) is sometimes used for a non-carbonaceous chondrite. In addition to the lack of carbon compounds, there are other differences between NC and CC meteorites, which suggest some specifics of their different histories.