Slice of Martian Meteorite Teghaza 001

When a rose-colored meteorite was discovered in the Sahara in 2022, scientists didn’t know how old it was or where it came from. That changed when NASA-funded researchers analyzed its minerals and determined the nearly 2-pound rock originated on Mars more than 4.1 billion years ago, making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever found. Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered, the meteorite is one of roughly 435 Martian meteorites identified on Earth.

What sets Teghaza 001 apart is not only its age – it is one of the three most ancient known Martian meteorites on Earth – but also its distinctive texture and unusual mix of igneous, or volcanic, minerals.

Unlike the other ancient Martian meteorites, Teghaza 001 has a mix of igneous minerals that sheds light on how Mars’ crust formed from cooling magma and was later altered by subsurface water. Its distinctive mineralogy closely matches terrain observed by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in the planet’s heavily cratered southern highlands. While scientists may never pinpoint the meteorite’s exact origin on Mars, the study identifies several candidate regions whose mineralogy and chemistry closely resemble those of Teghaza 001.