Pink stone found in Sahara Desert turns out from Mars:Water traces found in 800-gram stone, more than 4.1 billion years old

A pink-coloured stone weighing around 800 grams, found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, has been identified as having come from Mars. Research conducted with the help of NASA has confirmed this. The investigation found that the rock is more than 4.1 billion years old. It contains minerals indicating that water came into contact with rocks on Mars during its early history. The discovery could help scientists understand Mars’ ancient environment. According to scientists, Mars was not as cold and dry at that time as it is today. How was it confirmed to be a Martian rock? The rock has been named ‘Téghaza 001’. It was found in Mali’s Téghaza salt plain. Initially, scientists did not know where the rock had come from. To identify it, scientists examined the oxygen isotopes present in it. Isotopes are different forms of the same element. Their ratios can vary in rocks from different planets. The examination found that the isotopes in the rock matched those in rocks from Mars. Scientists then examined its structure and minerals. They found tiny crystals called zircon. These crystals helped scientists determine the age of the rock. Why are signs of water in the rock significant? The minerals found in the rock and their texture indicate that water was once present on Mars. Contact with water caused changes in some of the rock’s minerals. This information is significant because it can help scientists understand what the environment on early Mars was like and how much water was present there. It may also help determine how water on Mars declined over time. However, finding signs of water does not mean that life ever existed on Mars. More research is still needed to establish this. Where did this rock come from on Mars? Scientists compared data from an orbiter circling Mars with the minerals and chemical composition of the rock. Based on this analysis, they identified 13 locations on Mars from which the rock may have originated. Several of these locations are in the elevated, cratered terrain in the southern part of Mars. However, its exact origin has not yet been identified. How did this meteorite reach Earth from Mars? Scientists say that a large space object may have struck the surface of Mars, sending a fragment of rock into space. After a long journey, the fragment reached Earth and was found in the Sahara Desert. Solid objects that fall to Earth from space are called meteorites. They are often found in deserts and icy regions, where they are easier to identify than the surrounding ground. Tahega 001 is one of the oldest meteorites to have come to Earth from Mars. It contains preserved evidence of Mars’s early rocks and the effects of water on them.