Meteorite found in Sahara turns out to be 4.1 bn year old piece of Mars | World News - Business Standard
A remarkable space rock discovered in the Sahara Desert four years ago has been identified as a 4.1-billion-year-old fragment of Mars. Named Teghaza 001, the rose-colored meteorite represents one of the oldest Martian rocks ever found on Earth, joining an elite group alongside famous specimens like "Black Beauty." Published in the journal Science, researchers explain that the rock acts as a planetary time machine, preserving rare igneous minerals and zircon crystals that offer unique insights into early Martian history. Analysis of trapped water molecules within its mineral structure reveals that while liquid water once flowed abundantly on ancient Mars, much of it had already evaporated into space due to ultraviolet radiation. This rare cosmic visitor survived a fiery entry through Earth's atmosphere before fragmenting into pieces, providing scientists with invaluable data regarding the mantle and crust of our neighboring planet.
The Key points
- Ancient Discovery: A nearly two-pound meteorite named Teghaza 001 was found in the Sahara Desert near Mali.
- Extraordinary Age: Isotopic dating confirms the space rock is approximately 4.1 billion years old.
- Exclusive Company: It is one of only three known Martian meteorites of this extreme antiquity, alongside Allan Hills 84001 and Northwest Africa 7034.
- Planetary Time Machine: The rock preserves primitive igneous minerals and rare zircon crystals from early Mars.
- Ancient Water Evidence: Bound water molecules inside apatite minerals indicate water once actively flowed on the Martian surface.
- Atmospheric Loss: High concentrations of deuterium show that ultraviolet rays stripped away much of the planet's early water into space.
- Primordial Mantle: Chemical compositions suggest the magma origin is uninfluenced by later planetary shifts.
- Impact Journey: A massive meteor strike on Mars knocked the fragment into space before it eventually crossed paths with Earth.
- Atmospheric Survival: The rock survived a blazing entry through Earth's atmosphere before splitting into eight distinct pieces.
- Origin Clues: Mineral comparisons with orbital spacecraft data have narrowed down 13 potential impact locations on Mars.
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