The largest piece of Mars that has ever fallen to Earth, for the first time on display to the public. This part of Mars weighs 14.5 kg and measures 25 cm at its widest point.
The existence of this object was unveiled this week at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in Bethel, United States. To note, this place also holds about 6,000 space rocks, including the largest part of the Moon rock and the oldest igneous rock formed from volcanic activity in the Solar System.
Quoted from Live Science, the rock lump ended up on Earth after a large asteroid or comet blew it up from the surface of Mars.
"The Martian rocks fell to Earth as meteorites. They were ejected from Mars by large-energy impact events," said Carl Agee, director of the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico.
The Martian rock, named Taoudenni 002, is the largest intact, uncut Martian meteorite on Earth so far. Agee himself was involved in making sure the stone did come from the Red Planet.
mars Pieces of the Martian meteorite. Photo: Maine Mineral and Gem Museum
"There are about 300 pieces of Martian rock on Earth, totaling about 227 kg. However, collectors often break them down to sell them separately, so the actual number of known Martian meteorites on Earth is between 100 and 150," Agee said.
After a strong impact ejects rocks from Mars, they drift through space and eventually end up in orbit across Earth around the Sun.
A local meteor hunter found Taoudenni 002 near a desert salt mine in Mali before world-renowned meteorite trader Darryl Pitt bought it for the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in April 2021.
"Meteorite falls were not witnessed, but likely occurred recently, possibly in the last few 100 years because of their well-preserved conditions," said Agee.
After acquiring the meteorite in Mali, Pitt sent a small sample of the rock to Agee to confirm its origin. Martian meteorites have certain chemical signatures, and the minerals and elements in Taoudenni 002 closely match known Martian minerals.
"This is shergottite, which is the main type of Martian meteorite. This rock contains the minerals olivine, pyroxene, and feldspar formed from the Martian impact that ejected it," said Agee.
The composition of the meteorite also hints at how the rock was made. Most likely formed in a volcanic episode on Mars more than 100 million years ago.
"Even larger Martian rocks may be hidden on Earth, potentially buried under sandbars in the Sahara or deep in the ice in Antarctica, or perhaps on the ocean floor," concluded Agee.
