How do meteorites contribute to our understanding of planetary formation?

Meteorites are remnants of the early solar system, often originating from asteroids or leftover materials from planet formation. These objects act like time capsules, preserving the primitive conditions and chemical composition of the solar system over 4.5 billion years. By studying meteorites, scientists can learn about the building blocks that contributed to planet formation, such as minerals and organic compounds, which provide valuable data on how planets like Earth and others came to be.

In addition to their content, meteorite isotopic ratios can reveal details about the processes that took place in the early solar system, including how planets and larger bodies formed from dust and gas. The information gleaned from meteorites offers a glimpse into the conditions that prevailed during the formative years of planetary bodies, making them crucial for understanding the history of our own planet and others in the solar system.

The other choices do not align closely with the role of meteorites in planetary science. While they may touch on interesting topics within astronomy, they do not address the direct contribution that meteorites make to understanding how planets were formed.