NWA 6963 Martian Meteorite

NWA 6963 Martian Meteorite

The NWA 6963 Martian meteorite was first found in Morocco in 2011. By the following year hundreds of meteorite hunters descended on the area and recovered pieces ranging from 100 to 700 grams. The total mass of the meteorite is estimated to be as much as 8-10 kilograms. It is classified as a shergottite, which is one of the three main types of Martian meteorite - the other two being nakhlites and chassignites.

Martian meteorites are created by asteroids or comets smashing into the Red Planet. Strong impacts can throw out material into space, which can travel for millions of years before finally landing on Earth. We can tell the meteorites come from Mars because scientists can match the composition of the gas trapped inside shergottites with the Martian atmosphere, as measured by the Viking landers in the 1970s. The Mojave Crater on Mars has been identified as a possible site where shergottites, such as this one, were ejected from Mars. The crater is about 5 million years old and 55 kilometres wide.

Martian meteorites are some of the rarest meteorites. Out of over 60,000 recorded meteorite discoveries, less than 150 originate from Mars. Despite the success of Mars lander missions, such as Curiosity, we have yet to return pristine Martian samples back to Earth. Therefore, rare Martian meteorites are the only samples of Mars that scientists can analyse in laboratories here on Earth.