Research
‘Rosetta Stone for Mars:’ Martian meteorite hints at ancient life
EarthSky · By Paul Scott Anderson ·
The Brief
- A new analysis of the Martian meteorite Teghaza 001 has been reported.
- The meteorite is about 4.1 billion years old and is said to provide clues about Mars' wet and habitable past.
- The meteorite contains large amounts of manganese oxide, which on Earth is a common byproduct of microbial activity.
Why it matters
Samples like Teghaza 001 offer direct evidence about whether Mars once had conditions suitable for life, which bears on how astrobiologists search for past life on other planets.
Who’s affected
- planetary scientists and astrobiologists
- #mars
- #meteorite
- #astrobiology
- #manganese oxide
- #planetary geology
View larger. | A slice of the Martian meteorite Teghaza 001 . A new analysis of the 4.1-billion-year-old meteorite provides new clues about Mars’ wet and habitable past, including large amounts of manganese oxide . On Earth, manganese oxide is a common byproduct of microbial…