[Oman-l] Mars meteorite in Oman

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InfoBeat - Swiss discover Mars meteorite


 BERN, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss scientists announced they
have discovered a Mars meteorite in the desert of Oman, one
of only 18 bits of rock ever found on Earth from the red
planet. A team of researchers based at the University of
Bern said Friday the half-pound rock, formed from molten
lava, would contribute to rapidly growing knowledge of
Mars. ``Since the announcement of possible traces of life
in the Antarctic Mars meteorite ALH84001 in 1996, Mars
research has boomed,'' a statement said.  That rock, also
known as Allen Hills 84001, was found near the South Pole,
as were other Mars meteorites before scientists started
looking hard in deserts in recent years. Some researchers
suggested Allen Hills contained fossilized remains of
extraterrestrial life, but ``the arguments presented in
1996 are hardly taken as solid evidence today,'' said the
Bern
 statement.
                      The team said X-ray tomography of the
new rock had shown a surprising number of hollow pockets
inside. Team member Marc Hauser, a geologist, said those
pockets could contain clues about Mars and whether there is
life on the planet. Hauser told The Associated Press that
it would take several months before any initial conclusions
can be drawn. The new meteorite has been named Sayh al
Uhaymir 094 after the region of desert where the team found
it and more than 180 other meteorites last January and
February.
                      The team said they and other
scientists were able to determine that their meteorite is
from Mars by a range of analysis of tiny  fragments and the
whole rock.
                      ``The nature of the minerals as well
as their composition clearly demonstration that SaU094 is a
Mars meteorite,'' the statement said, adding that ``the
origin from Mars is supported by measurements of oxygen
isotopes'' by a researcher in Britain.
                      They said the rock had been formed
from molten lava, similar to volcanic rocks on Earth.