# Ancient Mars rock found in Sahara reveals watery past

> A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert shows that Mars had water-rock interactions billions of years ago, offering clues to the planet's transformation.
- Title: Ancient Mars rock found in Sahara reveals watery past · WIRED
- Summary: A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert shows that Mars had water-rock interactions billions of years ago, offering clues to the planet's transformation…
- Keywords: mars, meteorite, sahara desert, ancient water, planetary geology, nasa, space exploration, Ancient, rock, found, Sahara, reveals
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/ancient-fragment-from-mars-found-in-the-sahara-holds-secrets-about-the-planets-watery-past
- Author: Jorge Garay
- Published: 2026-11-03T10:15:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mars, meteorite, sahara desert, ancient water, planetary geology, nasa, space exploration
## Two-pound rock from Mars lands in Sahara
In 2022, a fragment weighing about two pounds was found in the Sahara Desert. Scientists determined it came from Mars' crust, likely ejected by an impact and reaching Earth after flying through space.
## Meteorite is 4.1 billion years old
The rock, named Teghaza 001, is one of the oldest known samples from Mars, estimated to be at least 4.1 billion years old.
## Tiny crystals reveal water-rock interaction
Tiny crystals of a mineral called apatite preserve signatures of hydrogen from two sources: Mars' interior and its ancient hydrosphere. The meteorite contains material altered by a water-rich environment, showing water once existed on Mars.
## Rosetta Stone for understanding Mars
Yang Liu of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory called Teghaza 001 a Rosetta Stone for Mars.

> One of the paper's reviewers called it a Rosetta Stone for Mars.
## Clues to Mars' transformation remain mysterious
Today Mars is cold and barren, but evidence suggests it once had rivers, lakes and possibly large bodies of water.
## Key takeaway

A two-pound Martian meteorite found in the Sahara in 2022 contains chemical evidence of water interacting with Mars' crust 4.1 billion years ago, revealing the planet's once-habitable conditions.