NWA 17301 Shergottite Martian Meteorite

NWA 17301 Shergottite Martian Meteorite

This meteorite was originally a rock on Mars, ejected into space by a giant impact. After travelling around the Solar System for millions of years, the rock eventually fell to Earth becoming a meteorite.

Most Martian meteorites fall into three groups - shergottites (named after the Shergotty, India, fall of 1865), nakhlites (named after the Nakhla, Egypt, fall of 1911), and chassignites (named after the Chassigny, France, fall of 1815). Shergottites are igneous rocks and make up the majority of Martian meteorites found on Earth.

This particular shergottite Martian meteorite was found in Morocco in 2018. The fusion crust, formed during the meteorite's descent through the atmosphere, is relatively fresh and unweathered - suggesting that it may have landed on Earth not long before it was discovered. The exact location in Morocco of the meteorite's discovery is unknown, so it is simply designated NWA - for Northwest Africa.