Meteorite from Mali found to be more than four billion years old
Researchers dated a piece of Mars that contains clues to early water on the planet.
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A meteorite found in Mali originated in the early crust of Mars and formed more than 4.1 billion years ago. The study is published on Thursday in the scientific journal Science.
The rock is called Teghaza 001 and was found in the Sahara in 2022. Using a method for dating individual minerals, researchers determined when the material formed on Mars.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the meteorite weighs around 800 grams. Among other things, the researchers examined zircons in the rock. Such crystals can preserve information about the age and the conditions under which a rock formed.
Teghaza 001 belongs to the so-called shergottites, a group of volcanic meteorites from Mars. The researchers compared the oxygen isotopes and other chemical characteristics with those of known Martian meteorites to establish its origin.
Its age makes the rock one of the oldest known meteorites from Mars. Reuters reports that around 435 Martian meteorites are known on Earth, although the figures may change as a result of new classifications and official registrations.
The study also provides indications that the rock was later altered by water on Mars. This does not mean that life has been found. The results say only something about the presence of water and the geological conditions on the young planet.
The researchers stress that this is an initial characterisation. Further research must determine what other information can be extracted from the rare material. Because the dating was carried out on a small part of the rock, it remains important to include other samples and methods.
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The scientific status, age and origin have been confirmed by NASA JPL and Reuters. The text makes clear that indications of water are not evidence of life.
- confirmed Teghaza 001 was found in Mali and is more than 4.1 billion years old. — Confirmed by NASA JPL and Reuters. source
- confirmed The study is published in Science. — Mentioned in the NASA JPL report. source
- confirmed The rock contains indications of early water on Mars. — Described by NASA JPL and Reuters. source
Editor's note
The age, find site, Martian origin and indications of water have been confirmed by NASA JPL and Reuters. The text avoids conclusions about life.Sources
- NASA-funded Study Details One of Oldest Mars Meteorites Ever Found — NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Martian meteorite found in the Sahara is 4.1 billion years old — Reuters
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „meteoriet mars”
- de Volkskrant — „meteoriet mars”
- RTL Nieuws — „meteoriet mars”