A study funded by NASA reveals that a Martian meteorite is one of the oldest ever found

A meteorite found in the Sahara Desert turned out to be a fragment of Mars more than 4.1 billion years old. Named Teghaza 001, the 800-gram rock preserves evidence of the ancient Martian crust. A pink meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2022 originated on Mars and is more than 4.1 billion years old. Its age was determined by NASA-funded researchers who analyzed the minerals in the rock, which weighs approximately 800 grams. A study published in the journal Science presents the first detailed analysis of Teghaza 001 and provides insights into the Martian crust during its earliest stages. Because it formed more than 4.1 billion years ago, the rock preserves evidence of geological processes that occurred on early Mars. Another published study examined the meteorite's water content and provided clues about interactions between liquids and rocky materials during the early history of Mars. Together, these studies could help scientists understand how water altered the Martian crust.

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