NASA identifies 13 Martian sites matching Teghaza 001 meteorite minerals
NASA has tracked down 13 spots on Mars that could be where the Teghaza 001 meteorite came from.
This rock, found in Mali's Sahara in 2022, is about 4.1 billion years old, making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever found on Earth.
Scientists used data from a Mars orbiter to match its minerals with regions on the planet, mostly in the ancient southern highlands.
Teghaza 001 suggests unsampled Martian highlands
The southern highlands are some of Mars's oldest terrain and hold clues about the planet's early days.
Teghaza 001's unusual volcanic minerals hint it came from a part of Mars we have not sampled before.
Researchers think an asteroid impact blasted it off Mars and sent it on its long trip to Earth, but exactly which region it started from is still a mystery they are hoping to solve.