By therandomsci / March 18, 2021
A rock from space landed in the Sahara desert in 2020. A study published in the PNAS describes that meteorite Erg Chech 002 is very rare. It survives since the planet was either destroyed or absorbed by a bigger planet during the early days of the solar system.
It was found in May 2020 in Algeria. Its mass is 31.78 kg. Its physical classification is coarse-grained, tan, and beige appearance with sporadic larger green yellow-green and less commonly yellow-brown crystals (up to 9 cm by 4 cm in some specimens).
Content of Erg Chech 002 radioactive isotopes, aluminum, and magnesium indicated that the meteorite originated in an ancient celestial body which is 4.566 billion years ago. Its chemical composition indicates that it merges from partly melted magma in the protoplanet’s crust. Normally meteoroid comes from rapidly cooled iron and magnesium-rich lava. On the other hand, EC 002’s parent’s crust was also rich in silica.
Various studies found that silica-infused andesite crusts were fairly common during the protoplanet forming stage of the solar system long before the Earth was formed. So, yes the meteorite found in the Sahara desert is older than our solar system.
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