Final answer:
Meteorites are valuable to astronomers because they can provide evidence of the early solar system's formation, containing materials that have remained largely unchanged since that time. Therefore, the correct answer is 4) they may provide evidence about the process in which the solar system was born.
Step-by-step explanation:
Meteorites are valuable to astronomers because they may provide evidence about the process in which the solar system was born. These interstellar fragments, which include primitive meteorites like Murchison and Allende, carry within them materials that have not been altered by significant heat or pressure since their formation.
Because of this, they contain a record of the solar system's early history. For example, carbonaceous meteorites, which are rich in organic molecules, can give insights into the chemical building blocks that were present during the time the solar system was formed.
Understanding the composition and properties of meteorites helps scientists to piece together a clearer picture of the solar nebula, from which the solar system formed. This nebula was a spinning disk of dust and gases that eventually condensed into the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets we are familiar with today.
By studying meteorites, astronomers can gain insights into the conditions and materials that were present during the early stages of planetary formation.