The Return of a Meteorite: A Journey Through Time

Scientists are investigating a black rock discovered in Morocco in 2018, known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 13188, which may have left Earth's atmosphere and returned. The rock's appearance, texture, and chemical makeup resemble rocks formed by volcanoes on Earth. However, its concentrations of certain isotopes suggest exposure to cosmic rays in outer space. The rock also has a glassy fusion crust, indicating it may have melted during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. While the exact mechanism of how it reached space remains unknown, it could have been ejected during a volcanic eruption or launched by a collision with another meteorite. The Sahara Desert is a prime location for meteorite hunting, with potentially hundreds of thousands of meteorites waiting to be discovered.