Mars Meteorite NWA 8171: Scientists discover first-ever garnet in Martian sample

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery inside a Martian meteorite.

The international team of scientists found grains of garnet, a mineral that has not previously been identified in a sample from Mars.

The meteorite identified as NWA 8171 is stored in the Royal Ontario Museum's collection. Upon cracking the tiny fragment for around 0.8 by 0.5mm, they found an unexpected mineral inside.

Tania Kizovski of Brock University said, “This little section of the meteorite looked really interesting, and the chemistry was a bit odd.”

“At first, we assumed it was a mineral called pyroxene, which is very common, but then we decided to take a second look,” she added.

The second examination proved that the mineral was andradite, which is an iron-based type of garnet. In contrast to the deep red colour of Earth’s gems, this Martian variety has a greenish-yellow colour.

Garnet on Earth is formed when exposed to high temperatures, pressure, or chemical changes that were not found on Mars until now. This finding poses many questions about whether the garnet was formed there and how it formed.

Garnets are excellent historians because they hold information about temperature, pressure, and other factors involved in their formation. This could tell us more about the history of the planet for the last 4.5 billion years.