Teghaza 001 meteorite reveals 4.1 billion-year Mars water evidence
Technology
A super-old Martian meteorite called Teghaza 001, found in Mali's Sahara Desert, is giving scientists a peek at Mars from at least 4.1 billion years ago.
The rock shows that water once interacted with Mars's crust, meaning the planet might have had the right conditions for tiny life forms way back when.
Researchers figured out its age by looking at uranium decay in crystals inside the rock.
Meteorite found 2022 in Mali
Teghaza 001 came from the Martian crust and contains minerals that point to a time when the planet was much warmer and wetter.
Found in 2022 in Mali's Sahara Desert, roughly 34km from the village of Bir Chali, this meteorite doesn't prove there was life on Mars but helps piece together how Mars changed from possibly livable to the cold, dry place it is now.