CAI

A CAI (for calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion) is a small (up to a cm diameter) nodule including calcium and aluminum found in some chondrites. Along with chondrules, they are of interest due to the conditions necessary to create them, as well as the ability to date them, yielding information about the earliest days of the solar system. They are classified in types:

• Type A or fluffy - melilite-rich; has fluffy edges.
• Type B - pyroxene-melilite-spinel-anorthite-rich.
• Type C - anorthite-rich.