A fragment of an ancient planet was found in the Sahara desert
Scientists examined the Erg Chech 002 (EC 002) meteorite, which fell in the Sahara in 2020, and came to the conclusion that it is older than the Earth itself. Its age was estimated at 4.6 billion years. It is the oldest known sample of magma from space, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers noted that this meteorite is most likely a fragment of a protoplanet. It began to form from a cloud of gas and dust, but was destroyed or swallowed up by the larger rocky bodies of the early solar system.
It is known that fragments of the meteorite EC 002 were found in Adrar (Algeria) in May 2020. It was classified as an achondrite – a type of meteorite that has separated from its parent body with a crust and core and is devoid of round mineral grains called chondrules.
The chemical composition of EC 002 showed that it emerged from a partially molten magma reservoir in the crust of the parent body. Most rocky meteorites come from basaltic crustal sources (rapidly cooling lava rich in iron and magnesium), but EC 002's parent crust consisted of silica-rich andesite.
“This meteorite is the oldest igneous rock analyzed to date and sheds light on the formation of the primary crust that covered the most ancient protoplanets,” the study authors said.
According to scientists, several planets with andesite crust could have formed in the early solar system. But they all either collapsed in collisions with other objects, or were swallowed up by larger planets such as Earth, Mercury or Mars.
Earlier it was reported that the oldest carbonates of the solar system were found in the meteorite. They are 4.5 billion years old.
