The "Black Beauty" Meteorite from Mars, also known as NWA 7034, is apparently unique from all the other meteorites that came from the Red Planet and hit Earth.

Scientists believe this particular Martian meteorite is the only sample originating from Mars' crust.

The other Martian meteorites found on the Earth are classified as SNC meteorites mostly composed of shergottites, nakhlites or chassignites. These are made from cooled magma and other volcanic substances.

Like Us on Facebook

On the other hand, Black Beauty is considered a breccia since it's made from different types of rocks bound together by basalt.

This means Black Beauty is identical to the rocks found by the Mars rovers on the surface of the Red Planet. This reveals why all the other Martian meteorites found on Earth are made up of different compositions.

Scientists came to the conclusion about Black Beauty's composition using spectroscopy and a new imaging system that enabled them to acquire full spectral images of the meteorite sample.

According to the research team's lead author, Kevin Cannon, other scientific methods only gave measurements from a dime sized spot. The team, however, produced an average of the entire meteorite sample where the overall measurement matched the orbital data.

Black Beauty apparently originated from a region in Mars called the Dark Plains. This area contains less red dust from the surface of Mars as opposed to the other parts where the crust is exposed to the elements. The Dark Plains is highly likely to appear similarly to the Black Beauty meteorite.

This region is also believed to have suffered many meteor impacts, which is why the meteorite consists of a variety of rock types. Mars is pockmarked by more than 400,000 impact craters more than one kilometer in diameter.

This brecciation is the natural result of impacts. The Black Beauty meteorite was discovered some years ago in the Moroccan desert and is estimated to be 4.4 billion years old, marking it the oldest meteorite ever discovered.

TagsBlack Beauty Meteorite Reveals Secrets of Mars' Crust, Mars, Black Beauty meteorite, Morocco, black beauty meteorite mars crust surface