21°c N/A
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Martian rock billions of years old
The meteorite from Mars -- a.k.a. Black Beauty -- is about the size of a baseball. (CARL AGEE / UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)
LOS ANGELES -- Scientists are abuzz about a coal-coloured rock from Mars that landed in the Sahara Desert: A year-long analysis revealed it's quite different from other Martian meteorites.
Not only is it older than most, it also contains more water. The baseball-size meteorite, estimated to be two billion years old, is strikingly similar to the volcanic rocks examined by the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity on the Martian surface.
"Here we have a piece of Mars that I can hold in my hands. That's really exciting," said Carl Agee, director of the Institute of Meteoritics and curator at the University of New Mexico who led the study published online Thursday in the journal Science.
Most space rocks that fall to Earth as meteorites come from the asteroid belt, but a number can be traced to the moon and Mars.
Scientists believe an asteroid or some other large object struck Mars, dislodging rocks and sending them into space. Occasionally, some plummet through Earth's atmosphere.
Short of sending a spacecraft or astronaut to the red planet to haul back rocks, Martian meteorites are the next best thing for scientists seeking to better understand how Earth's neighbour transformed from a tropical environment to a frigid desert.
Researchers performed a battery of tests on the meteorite -- nicknamed "Black Beauty" -- and based on its chemical signature confirmed it was blasted to Earth from Mars. More tests are underway to determine how long the rock floated in space and how long it had been sitting in the Sahara.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 4, 2013 A18
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for today)
Pittsburgh Penguins take Game 4 with 7-3 romp over Ottawa Senators
9:22 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- New owner for lumber stores
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- Peeping Tom portrayed as sexual deviant in court
- Man killed after test drive a regular guy, and it cost him his life: widow
- 2 dead in crash near Portage la Prairie
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Heritage Winnipeg hosting 10th annual Doors Open Winnipeg this weekend
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- Paying bills and consumer consumption hurting Canadians' ability to save: study
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.