Technology
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Rare meteorite points to lost early planet
NDTV··10 Jun
Scientists studying the Northwest Africa 12774 angrite meteorite found in the Sahara say it provides evidence of a lost protoplanet from the early Solar System. The parent body may have been moon-sized and possibly approached Mars scale before being destroyed in ancient collisions.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Meteorites are not just rocks; they are physical archives of worlds that no longer exist.
- Studying rare samples can change how scientists understand Earth, Mars and other rocky planets.
- The discovery shows why preserving and re-examining meteorite collections matters for planetary science.
What's Happening
- Researchers analysed NWA 12774, a rare angrite meteorite found in the Sahara Desert.
- Mineral pressure signatures suggest its parent body was far larger than a typical asteroid.
- The findings were reported in Earth and Planetary Science Letters and point to a lost protoplanet.
Early Solar System Clues
- The young Solar System was crowded with planetary embryos, asteroids and debris that repeatedly collided.
- Many early bodies were destroyed or absorbed into larger planets, leaving only fragments behind.
- Angrites are especially valuable because they are ancient volcanic rocks with unusual chemistry compared with Earth and Mars.
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