Martian Meteorites
Igneous rocks blasted off Mars by impacts, identified by trapped gas matching the Martian atmosphere.
Overview
Rocks ejected from Mars by large impacts and later swept up by Earth — identified by trapped gases matching the composition measured in the Martian atmosphere by landers.
Meteorites
2 modelled meteorites.
- ALH 84001find
A Martian meteorite recovered from Antarctica in 1984 and made famous in 1996 by a disputed claim that microscopic structures within it might be evidence of ancient Martian microbial life.
ClassMartian (orthopyroxenite)Date1984 - NWA 7034find
Nicknamed 'Black Beauty', a Martian breccia containing the most water of any Mars meteorite and some of the oldest Martian crust yet sampled.
ClassMartian (polymict breccia)CountryMoroccoDate2011
Knowledge connections
- Group includesNWA 7034
- Group includesALH 84001
- Part ofAchondrites
- Parent bodyMars
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.