It is a small piece of black rock 4 cm wide discovered by Bedouin in the Sahara desert : This meteorite 84 g is considered the first sample available on Earth 's oldest land in March , according to a study published Wednesday, November 20 in the journal Nature .
SAMPLES . Two robots, Opportunity and Curiosity , are currently at work on Mars, capable of observing the soils and rocks , and even analysis. But if the prospect to bring Martian samples to Earth is seriously considered , it will be years before it can be realized. Meteorites are a boon fallen from heaven for scientists.
A meteorite that stands out among the 68 collected on Earth from Mars
However, if today 68 Martian meteorites are known, they do not resemble the ancient land covered with craters that dominate the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet and can observe on-site American rovers .
The meteorite NWA 7533 , found near Bir Anzarane Morocco and analyzed by an international team of researchers, stand out.
Team Munir Humayun ( Florida State University , USA ) , which is associated with Brigitte Zanda ( National Museum of Natural History, Paris ) , has shown that NWA 7533 "is the first sample of the land available in the laboratory , "according to a statement from the museum .
" It has long been believed that these land covered with craters contain the keys of the birth and infancy of Mars ," said Munir Humayun .
ZIRCONIA . The researchers analyzed zircons especially in the rock and their crystallization dated to 4.4 billion years old, an age that corresponds to that of other minerals such the oldest known lunar and terrestrial rocks .
" This indicates that the crust of Mars solidified very early, at the same time as that of the Moon and Earth ," notes Museum .
The analyzes also show that NWA 7533 contains a large quantity of chemical elements , such as nickel and iridium , are concentrated in the core of the planets. Their presence in large numbers in the crust may be the result of one or more meteorite impacts , according to the researchers .
" NWA 7533 therefore comes from an old and cratered terrain of Mars as those covering the southern hemisphere of the planet ," says the museum . However, impossible to know precisely what crater it comes.
SAMPLES . Two robots, Opportunity and Curiosity , are currently at work on Mars, capable of observing the soils and rocks , and even analysis. But if the prospect to bring Martian samples to Earth is seriously considered , it will be years before it can be realized. Meteorites are a boon fallen from heaven for scientists.
A meteorite that stands out among the 68 collected on Earth from Mars
However, if today 68 Martian meteorites are known, they do not resemble the ancient land covered with craters that dominate the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet and can observe on-site American rovers .
The meteorite NWA 7533 , found near Bir Anzarane Morocco and analyzed by an international team of researchers, stand out.
Team Munir Humayun ( Florida State University , USA ) , which is associated with Brigitte Zanda ( National Museum of Natural History, Paris ) , has shown that NWA 7533 "is the first sample of the land available in the laboratory , "according to a statement from the museum .
" It has long been believed that these land covered with craters contain the keys of the birth and infancy of Mars ," said Munir Humayun .
ZIRCONIA . The researchers analyzed zircons especially in the rock and their crystallization dated to 4.4 billion years old, an age that corresponds to that of other minerals such the oldest known lunar and terrestrial rocks .
" This indicates that the crust of Mars solidified very early, at the same time as that of the Moon and Earth ," notes Museum .
The analyzes also show that NWA 7533 contains a large quantity of chemical elements , such as nickel and iridium , are concentrated in the core of the planets. Their presence in large numbers in the crust may be the result of one or more meteorite impacts , according to the researchers .
" NWA 7533 therefore comes from an old and cratered terrain of Mars as those covering the southern hemisphere of the planet ," says the museum . However, impossible to know precisely what crater it comes.
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