Desert Meteorite Hints at a Lost Planet’s Ancient Beginnings
Scientists analyze a roughly one-pound angrite meteorite found in the Sahara (NWA 12774) and argue it formed on a large parent body billions of years ago, perhaps 1,118–2,050 miles in diameter. The mineral clinopyroxene and unusually preserved crystal edges suggest formation under extreme pressure on a very large body, implying a distinct early planetary formation path separate from Earth and Mars. Fragments from that lost world likely scattered across the solar system and eventually landed on Earth, hinting there may be other ancient protoplanets waiting to be discovered.