NASA-funded Study Details One of Oldest Mars Meteorites Ever Found

What happened

When a rose-colored meteorite was found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, no one knew how old it was or where it came. Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Called Teghaza 001, this rose-colored rock is one of the most ancient Martian meteorites ever found on Earth.

Not until NASA-funded scientists age-dated its minerals did they realize the nearly 2-pound (800-gram) rock was a piece of Mars that formed more than 4.1 billion years ago, making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever found. Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered, the meteorite is one of roughly 435 from the Red Planet.

Rose-colored stone Signs of water When a rose-colored meteorite was found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, no one knew how old it was or where it came. It is one of the three most ancient Martian meteorites found on Earth.

In a paper published Thursday in Science, researchers offered an initial characterization of Teghaza 001, providing a rare snapshot of Mars’ ancient crust and formation. What scientists learn from future studies could help answer many questions, including how water and rocks interacted on ancient Mars.

A separate paper published in Science Advances in June detailed the meteorite’s water content, offering a look at how water shaped the early planet’s surface. “One of the paper’s reviewers called it a Rosetta Stone for Mars.”

Rose-colored stone What sets Teghaza 001 apart from other Martian meteorites is its texture and age as well as the uniqueness of its igneous, or volcanic, minerals. While invaluable, the others provide more limited glimpses of Mars’ geological history.