Meteorite Found in Africa Preserves Evidence of Long-Lost Massive Protoplanet
Researchers have identified a meteorite found in the Sahara as a fragment of a massive, long-lost protoplanet from the early Solar System. The unique chemical composition of the rock suggests it formed under high pressure deep within a large planetary body.
Why it matters
This discovery provides rare physical evidence of planetary formation processes that occurred billions of years ago, challenging previous assumptions about early Solar System evolution.
The Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774 , an angrite meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert, likely in Mauritania, appears to be a fragment of a vanished protoplanet, offering the strongest evidence yet that a large planetary body formed and was later destroyed during the Solar System’s chaotic infancy.
The content is purely scientific reporting based on peer-reviewed research.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in