Madar (Bamako) - A meteorite from Mars found in 2022 in the Sahara desert in Mali is among the oldest Martian rocks known on Earth, at more than 4 billion years old, according to a study published in the journal Science, RFI reported on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Named Teghaza 001, it is not the first Martian rock found on Earth, with more than 400 known, but it dates from a time when the solar system and its planets were very young, offering a direct look at Mars's infancy.
According to the study, that infancy was wet: researchers found that Teghaza 001 had been in contact with water while still on Mars, adding to observations by probes and satellites suggesting that liquid water probably flowed across the surface and seeped into the ground at the time.
Scientists' next step is to bring samples directly from Mars to Earth, so they can study original material uncontaminated by our planet's environment.
