{
  "id": 17105563,
  "title": "NASA-funded Study Details One of Oldest Mars Meteorites Ever Found",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/nasa-funded-study-details-one-of-oldest-mars-meteorites-ever-found",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-29T18:18:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA",
    "slug": "nasa",
    "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/planets/mars/nasa-funded-study-details-one-of-oldest-mars-meteorites-ever-found/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A NASA-funded study has shed light on one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever discovered, known as Teghaza 001. This rose-colored rock was unearthed in the Sahara Desert in 2022, and only through rigorous age dating of its minerals did scientists realize its immense age - over 4.1 billion years old. The meteorite, weighing nearly 2 pounds, is one of roughly 435 Martian meteorites found on Earth. Named after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered, Teghaza 001 is a unique piece of Mars' ancient crust and formation. A recent paper published in Science reveals that the meteorite holds crucial information about Mars' geological history and water-rock interactions. The meteorite's distinct mineral composition aligns with what NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has observed in the planet's southern highlands. Scientists believe that Teghaza 001 originated from a location on Mars that has never been sampled before, providing a rare glimpse into the Red Planet's early history.",
  "summary": "When a rose-colored meteorite was found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, no one knew how old it was or where it came from. Not until NASA-funded scientists age-dated its minerals did they realize the nearly 2-pound (800-gram) rock was a piece of Mars that formed more than 4.1 billion years ago, making it one […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}