Believe it or not, debris from Mars has frequently made its way to Earth after powerful impacts hit the Red Planet’s surface and launch it into space.
There have been at least 10 of these meteorite-forming events in Mars’ recent history. When these massive impacts occur, meteorites can be flung away from the Red Planet with enough velocity that they break free of Mars’ gravitational pull to enter orbit around the sun, with some eventually falling to Earth.
Scientists at the University of Alberta have now traced the origins of 200 of these meteorites to five impact craters in two volcanic regions on Mars, known as Tharsis and Elysium. “Now, we can group these meteorites by their shared history and then their location on the surface prior to coming to Earth,” said Chris Herd, curator of the university’s meteorite collection and professor in the faculty of science, in a statement.
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