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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Science
Donna Lu

Origin site of oldest Martian meteorite ‘Black Beauty’ named after WA mining town

Black Beauty origin site
The meteorite Black Beauty contains the oldest known mineral from Mars which is approximately 4.5bn years old. Photograph: Curtin University

Artificial intelligence has helped pinpoint the exact origin site of the oldest Martian meteorite, in a discovery researchers say provides clues about the planet’s early history.

The meteorite, commonly known as “Black Beauty” and officially called Northwest Africa 7034, contains the oldest known Martian igneous material, which is approximately 4.5bn years old. It was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011.

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