An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A member of a group of tiny (millimeter to centimeter) light-colored meteorites found often with → chondrules. They consist of high vaporization minerals, including → silicates and → oxides of Ca, Al, and Ti, but are quite poor in Fe. Compared to common → chondrules, which are uniformly spherical, their shapes are less regular. They appear to be 2-3 million years older than chondrules. CAI meteorites are probably the oldest solid materials to have formed in the → solar nebula.

See also: CAI, short for → Calcium, → Aluminium, and → Inclusion; → meteorite.