Chondrites are stony (non-metallic)
meteorites that have not been modified due to
melting or
differentiation of the parent body. They are formed when various types of dust and small grains that were present in the early solar system accreted to form primitive
asteroids. They are the most common type of meteorite that falls to Earth with estimates for the proportion of the total fall that they represent varying between 85.7% and 86.2%. Their study provides important clues for understanding the origin and age of the
Solar System, the synthesis of
organic compounds, the
origin of life or the presence of water on
Earth. One of their characteristics is the presence of
chondrules, which are round grains formed by distinct minerals, that normally constitute between 20
nd 80% of a chondrite by volume.