Sahara meteorite confirmed as 4.1-billion-year-old Mars fragment

A rose-colored meteorite discovered in Mali in 2022 has been confirmed as a 4.1-billion-year-old fragment of Mars by NASA scientists.

The nearly two-pound meteorite, named Teghaza 001, was found in the salt plain of the same name and was identified through chemical and mineral analysis.

NASA's study compared the meteorite's composition to data from its Martian missions, confirming its origin as a piece of the Red Planet.

The meteorite's age, determined through detailed analysis, places it among the three oldest known Martian meteorites on Earth, offering a rare view of Mars' early crust and formation.

Researchers found the meteorite contains volcanic minerals, including zircon crystals, matching samples observed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in the southern highlands.

A pioneering age-dating method, using a piece of the meteorite smaller than a fingernail, allowed scientists to analyze single mineral grains and determine the rock's alteration by Martian water 4.1 billion years ago.

Further studies suggest early Mars may have had a more active water cycle than previously thought, with the meteorite possibly recording interactions between water, rock, and the Martian atmosphere.