Pink Martian meteorite found in Sahara reveals ancient water clues
The 800-gram rock, named Teghaza 001, is one of the three oldest Martian meteorites identified on Earth.
A 4.1-billion-year-old Martian meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert provides evidence of ancient volcanic activity and water interactions on Mars, according to a Times of India report.
The 800-gram pink rock, named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was found in 2022, is among the three oldest known Martian meteorites on Earth.
A NASA report published on October 29, 2026, detailed findings from a NASA-funded study involving scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Researchers used in-situ rubidium-strontium dating to determine the rock's age, finding that water had changed the meteorite around 4.1 billion years ago.
The meteorite contains igneous minerals and zircon crystals that help geologists understand how the Martian crust developed from magma.
Lee Saper, a postdoctoral scholar at JPL and research co-author, said the meteorite records interactions between water and rock and may preserve traces of the Martian atmosphere.
While the rock's origin is confirmed as Mars, scientists have identified 13 possible locations, including Mars' cratered southern highlands, but cannot establish its exact birthplace.