Scientist sconfirmed a rare invasion from Mars: Meteorite chunks that fell over Africa last summer came from the Red Planet. The rocks were found in December.
This is only the fifth time that experts have determined by chemical tests that fresh Martian rocks have fallen to Earth. The last time was in 1962. Scientists believe that this meteorite fell last July after passing over the North African country of Morocco, where people reported seeing objects falling from the sky.
Meteorite experts, including some scientists from NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), said Tuesday that 15 pounds of meteorite pieces recently collected in Morocco came from Mars. The biggest rock weighs more than two pounds.
Astronomers think that millions of years ago something big smashed into Mars, and that sent fragments of the planet hurtling through the solar system. Occasionally, some fall on Earth. Meteorites from Mars are more than a million times as rare as gold.
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