NWA 12774 offers 1st definitive evidence of possible Mars-sized protoplanet
A super-rare space rock found in the Sahara Desert, called Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, just provided the first definitive evidence of a lost protoplanet that may have been nearly Mars-sized in our early solar system.
This ancient meteorite formed when planets were crashing into each other, and scientists think the parent body may have been shattered in a catastrophic event, sending pieces like this one all the way to Earth.
Rare angrite shows distinct crystal history
Angrites like NWA 12774 are some of the rarest volcanic rocks from space, with only 68 ever found on Earth.
What makes this one special? Its makeup shows it came from a large protoplanet or parent body, way bigger than an asteroid, and its crystal patterns reveal it had a totally different history compared with Earth or Mars, giving us new clues about how wild planet-building was back then.