Sahara meteorite Northwest Africa 12774 may be moon-sized planet fragment
Technology
A meteorite found in the Sahara could actually be a chunk from a long-lost, moon-sized planet that existed about 4.5 billion years ago.
Scientists say this rock, called Northwest Africa 12774, is among the oldest volcanic rocks known to science.
Aaron Bell team finds high-pressure crystals
Researchers led by Aaron Bell found crystals inside the meteorite that formed under super-high pressure, way more than what small asteroids can handle.
This hints that the meteorite came from something huge, possibly as big as Earth's Moon.
The team also thinks many meteorites in collections remain unexamined and could reveal more about our solar system's early history.