Unlike other ancient Martian meteorites, Teghaza 001 contains several different minerals formed from molten rock, offering scientists clues about how the planet's outer crust developed as magma cooled billions of years ago.
Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAccording to NASA, meteorites from Mars arrive on Earth after powerful impacts send fragments of the planet's surface hurtling into space.
Scientists can determine whether a meteorite originated on Mars by examining its chemical makeup and comparing it with information collected by NASA's missions to the planet.
Researchers believe the discovery could help shed light on the presence and movement of water on Mars during the planet's earliest history.
Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAnd while the findings have already provided important clues about the Red Planet's distant past, scientists believe the meteorite could still have more secrets to reveal.
NEED TO KNOW
A rose-colored meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2022 has been identified as a piece of Mars that formed more than 4.1 billion years ago
Scientists used advanced dating techniques to determine the rock's age, making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever discovered
Researchers believe that the meteorite could reveal new details about Mars' early formation and how water interacted with the planet's surface billions of years ago
A mysterious pink rock discovered in the Sahara Desert has turned out to be a potential key piece of Martian history.
Scientists have identified the nearly two-pound meteorite, found in Mali in 2022, as a fragment of Mars that formed more than 4.1 billion years ago — making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever discovered on Earth, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
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The findings, published in the scientific journal Science on Thursday, Oct. 29, could offer new insights into what Mars looked like billions of years ago, including how water once moved through the Red Planet's rocky surface.
Areas where scientists identified 13 locations on Mars that match the mineralogy and chemistry of Teghaza 001.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS
Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered, the meteorite is one of approximately 435 known meteorites originating from Mars, according to NASA.
"It was only after we started looking closely that we realized this meteorite is really unique," Yang Liu, the study's lead author and a scientist at JPL, said in a statement.
"One of the paper's reviewers called it a Rosetta Stone for Mars," she added.
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Researchers were particularly intrigued by the rock's unusual collection of minerals, which provided evidence of geological activity dating back to the earliest stages of Mars' formation.
Unlike other ancient Martian meteorites, Teghaza 001 contains several different minerals formed from molten rock, offering scientists clues about how the planet's outer crust developed as magma cooled billions of years ago.
"This is really our first piece of Martian crust from a part of Mars we've never had a sample of before," said Lee Saper, the study's second author and current scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center.
A slice of Teghaza 001.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
"It records interactions of water and rock and maybe even an imprint of the Martian atmosphere as it was losing water," Saper added.
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According to NASA, meteorites from Mars arrive on Earth after powerful impacts send fragments of the planet's surface hurtling into space. Some then eventually make their way to Earth.
Scientists can determine whether a meteorite originated on Mars by examining its chemical makeup and comparing it with information collected by NASA's missions to the planet.
In the case of Teghaza 001, researchers at the University of New Mexico first confirmed its Martian origin by studying its oxygen isotopes, which can help identify the planetary source of a rock.
Liu and her team at JPL then became involved, partnering with Caltech scientist and study coauthor François Tissot.
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The researchers used an advanced dating technique that allowed them to analyze individual mineral grains in a sample smaller than a fingernail. The method allowed scientists to preserve most of the meteorite for future research.
The results on the Martian sample revealed that water had altered the rock approximately 4.1 billion years ago, indicating that the meteorite itself must have formed even earlier.
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Researchers believe the discovery could help shed light on the presence and movement of water on Mars during the planet's earliest history.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
And while the findings have already provided important clues about the Red Planet's distant past, scientists believe the meteorite could still have more secrets to reveal.
"We've only scratched the surface," Liu said.
Read the original article on People
