Rare Sahara Meteorite May Contain First Evidence of a Lost Ancient Solar System World
A meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains mineral signatures consistent with a destroyed moon-size world from the early solar system, researchers report. The rock, named Erg Chech 002, contains ancient pyroxene crystals that formed under high-pressure conditions on a differentiated protoplanet—possibly one with a metallic core and silicate mantle. The discovery adds to evidence that the early solar system may have housed far more large rocky bodies than survived to the present day. If confirmed, it would represent a rare window into planetary formation and destruction during the solar system's first few million years.