In 2011, a 320-gram Martian meteorite discovered in Sahara Desert became a source of information about the early history of Mars. The meteorite, known as Black Beauty and officially designated Northwest Africa 7034, contains material that dates back about 4.48 billion years. Scientists have found evidence of hydrated material inside the rock. The discovery helps explain how water interacted with the Martian crust in the planet’s early history. Researchers used X-ray and neutron tomography to examine the meteorite and identify hydrogen and water-related material that could not be fully detected through X-rays alone.
