Scientists say Teghaza 001, a Martian meteorite found in northern Mali’s Sahara in 2022, formed at least 4.1 billion years ago and preserves evidence that water later altered its minerals beneath Mars’ surface. The roughly 800-gram rock is among the oldest known Martian meteorites on Earth, and its mix of volcanic minerals offers clues to how the planet’s early crust formed and changed [businessinsider.com][spidersweb.pl]. The study, published in Science, used mineral analyses to determine the rock’s age and identify signs of interaction with water. Researchers have narrowed its possible origin to 13 sites, many in Mars’ southern highlands, but have not identified its precise source. The meteorite may come from terrain no rover has directly examined [t3n.de][spidersweb.pl]. Highlights: • Independent cross-check: Two dating methods yielded the same age, helping validate the result [spidersweb.pl]. Perspectives: Carl Agee, University of New Mexico meteorite researcher: Agee said the meteorite’s texture, mineralogy and composition were unusual among Martian meteorites [t3n.de]. (t3n.de) "It was only after we started looking closely that we realized this meteorite is really unique" — Yang Liu, lead author and researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sources: • Rock found in Mali holds a 4.1 billion-year-old clue into how Mars contained a source of life and other igneous minerals - businessinsider.com • Ancient Meteorite Found in the Sahara Holds Secrets About Mars’ Watery Past - wired.com • In der Sahara gefunden: Was ein 4,1 Milliarden Jahre alter Mars-Meteorit über den roten Planeten verrät - t3n.de • Na Ziemi znaleźliśmy fragment Marsa. Naukowcy potwierdzili odkrycie - spidersweb.pl --- 📰 Story aggregated by Kagi News