Professor Carl Agee at the University of New Mexico is conducting research on what is believed to be the first meteorite from the surface of Mars. The specimen is 2.1 billion years old and roughly the size of a baseball. It differs from each of the approximately 110 other Martian meteorites found on Earth. Not only is it believed to be from the surface of the planet, but it is much older than the majority and its water content is ten times that of the others.
An American collector purchased the find, originally discovered in the Sahara desert, in 2011 from a Moroccan meteorite dealer. Scientists hope it will enable them to learn unprecedented information about the Martian crust. Munir Humayun, cosmo-chemist at Florida State University, said of the space rock:
"This opens a whole new window on Mars."
Read more on this story at the Los Angeles Times. Link
(Image credit: Carl Agee/University of New Mexico)