4.5 billion year old meteorite revealed life on Mars

A Martian meteorite discovered in the Sahara dates back about 4.5 billion years and may contain secrets of life that once existed on the Red Planet.

>>>Redefining the age of Martian meteorites

The meteorite was named NWA 7533 after it fell into an area in the Sahara desert in northwest Africa. With a date of about 4.5 billion years, it is believed to be the oldest rock form from Mars and contains information about the origin and age of the planet.

The NWA 7533 meteorite originated from Mars for 4.5 billion years

Using spectroscopic methods that can identify thousands of different materials, scientists have discovered that NWA 7533 meteorites contain many traces of metal, such as iridium. It also has signs of volatile substances. This may be proof that water existed for the first 100 million years after the formation of Mars.

The NWA 7533 meteorite is part of a large rock from Mars flying into the Earth's atmosphere and breaking into 5 pieces. Another meteorite, called NWA 7034 was originally determined to be about 2.1 billion years old but later redefined to 4.4 billion years based on zircon mineral analyzes.

Zircon in meteorites can be formed through the re-melting process of the Martian crust during the early period. Their similarity to the surface and zircon on the Moon shows that the red planet's crust formed at the same time as the Earth and the Moon.

Professor Munir Humayan, of Florida State University, said: 'The initial magnetic field formed on Mars requires the rapid release of volatile chemicals within the planet. This process helps to form the atmosphere and hydrosphere (the water below and above the surface of a planet ".

Like Earth, Mars also has a central core of iron and nickel metal surrounded by lighter substances such as silicates and shells. The red planet has a characteristic color because iron oxidation exists on its surface.