Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 18 hrs ago
Sahara meteorite reveals evidence of early water on Mars
Researchers found that the Martian rock Teghaza 001 is more than 4.1 billion years old.
It was discovered in 2022 on a salt plain in Mali, in the Sahara, and weighs 800 grams.
Scientists identified it as a meteorite from Mars using its oxygen isotopes, which act as geochemical fingerprints.
Its minerals preserve clues to how Mars’s crust formed from molten rock and later changed.
Evidence shows water altered the rock around 4.1 billion years ago, so it likely formed even earlier.
Teghaza 001 is among the three oldest known Martian meteorites, out of roughly 435 identified on Earth, making it a rare record of early Mars.
Researchers used only a tiny piece to date it, leaving most of the meteorite intact for future study.
Teghaza 001, a Martian meteorite found in the Sahara in 2022, formed more than 4.1 billion years ago.
NASA-funded researchers found evidence that water altered the rock around 4.1 billion years ago.
The findings offer clues about early water interactions with Mars’ crust and the planet’s geological history.
The meteorite was named after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered.
The research was published in the journal Science and described in a NASA report on October 29, 2026.
- Who
- NASA-funded researchers, including scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, studied the meteorite.
- What
- Researchers dated Teghaza 001 to more than 4.1 billion years ago and found evidence that water altered it.
- When
- It was discovered in 2022; the NASA report was published on October 29, 2026.
- Where
- The meteorite was found at a salt plain in Mali in the Sahara Desert.
- Why
- Its minerals and textures provide evidence about early Mars, including interactions between water and rock.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Teghaza 001, an 800-gram rock, was discovered in the Sahara.
A separate study published in Science Advances examined the meteorite’s water content.
NASA reported findings from a study that dated the meteorite to more than 4.1 billion years ago.
- Meteorite
- Teghaza 001
- Discovery
- 2022, Sahara Desert
- Mass
- 800 grams
- Age
- More than 4.1 billion years
- Discovery location
- Salt plain in Mali
- Research publication
- Science