4.1-Billion-Year-Old Mars Meteorite Found in Sahara

Teghaza 001 and the Search for Ancient Martian Crust

Reddish rocks recovered from the Sahara Desert in Mali four years ago are actually pieces of Mars dating back 4,1 miljard jaar, Nieuwsblad reported. An impact hurled these fragments from the Martian crust into space before a fiery atmospheric entry brought them to Earth. The meteorite was found in September 2022 in the Sahara-woestijn in Mali.

The total mass weighs nearly one kilogram—specifically 800 grams—and consists of eight pieces named Teghaza 001. The largest fragment was about the size of a tennis ball. This moniker comes from an abandoned salt mine near the recovery site, located about 34 kilometers from the village of Bir Shali. Researchers published these findings in the scientific journal Science on Thursday, detailing how the meteorite serves as a planetary time machine and preserves a snapshot of what Mars looked like several hundred million years after its formation, including clues about both the mantle and the crust in the early stages of the planet.

NASA researchers analyzed the fragments and found an unusual mix of igneous and volcanic minerals.

Rare 4.1-Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Found in Sahara Reveals Clues About Ancient Mars

Minerals and Water Evidence in Meteorite

Among more than 400 Martian meteorites found on Earth, only two others rival Teghaza 001 in age. Those comparable stones are Allan Hills 84001—also known as ALH84001, which consists almost entirely of a single mineral—and Northwest Africa 7034, also referred to as Black Beauty, which is about 2,1 miljard jaar old and a lot smaller. The newly studied meteorite contains feldspar and pyroxene alongside uranium-bearing zircon crystals.

Chemical signatures inside the rock indicate that water once flowed across its source region, suggesting that water was present on the Martian surface more than 4,1 miljard jaar ago, though analysis showed the planet had already lost much of its water even then. “The findings support the idea that the early Mars had the necessary ingredients and conditions to harbor life, but don’t directly answer the question of whether there was life on Mars,” said second author Lee Saper. Professor Arya Udry of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, who was not involved in the research, noted that such mineral compositions have never before appeared in existing Mars collections.

4.1-Billion-Year-Old Mars Meteorite Found in Sahara — Photo: NOS

Unresolved Origins and Future Analysis

Scientists believe the rock originates from the southern highlands of Mars, representing a region of the Martian crust never before sampled directly. “This is really the first piece of Martian crust that we have found in a part of Mars where we have never had a sample before,” Lee Saper stated. Researchers have identified 13 possible launch locations on the red planet for the impact event.

The exact timing of when the meteorite broke away from Mars and landed in the Sahara remains unknown. Investigators plan further analysis to uncover a more complex story and unravel its mysteries, looking forward to additional analysis by other scientists. “We’ve only looked at a small part of it,” the research team stated, emphasizing that many mysteries of the early solar system still remain locked inside the remaining fragments.